The Strays
by TenshiWarrior
Summary: Nineteen year old Kristen Waterson, thirteen year old Rachel Gardner, and Faith are trapped in a building filled killers, with no memory of how they got there or why they're there. All they have to do is find a way out without getting killed. They get help from an unlikely ally… A killer himself. (Zack x OC)
1. Chapter 1: Who Art Thou?

_**DISCLAIMER**_ _:_

 _The following is a fan-based story. The Angels of Death game, manga, and anime with the exceptions of OCs is all owned by J.C Staff, Monthly Comic Gene, Makato Sanada, and Hoshikuzu KRNKRN. Please support the official release._

 _ **NOTE:**_

 _The following takes place during the Angels of Death storyline, so some scenes may or may not be altered. If you are not a fan, than I advise you not to read ahead._

 _ **WARNING:**_

 _For those of you that are sensitive, this story may contain very strong languages, suggestive themes and disturbing moments. Can't say that all three of these things are in there, but just to give you guys a heads up in case it does have em._

* * *

 _(_ _ **Opening Theme: Shiki Opening 1-Kiss Performed By BUCK-TICK**_ _)_

 _ **Sometimes you can find the light… In the most unexpected places.**_

" _-Freak! Ugly!"_

" _You don't belong here."_

" _Red eye freak!"_

" _It's because of you they're dead!"_

" _You're a cursed child!"_

" _-Nothing but a tool-"_

" _It was her! She did it!"_

" _Someone call the police!"_

" _Get this freak out of here!"_

" _I didn't do this! Please! It wasn't me!"_

" _Kristen Waterson… You're under arrest for-"_

" _Let me go! Please! Help me-!"_

Young Kristen let out a groan as her vision was a bit of a blur at first. She found herself strangely enough on a soft bed, and a window with a view of the night sky. This left her confused though as this place had been unfamiliar to her; She sat up from the bed as she found herself staring at a full view mirror, revealing her short black hair and red crimson eyes; She had an outfit of a black t-shirt and short long sleeved gray hoodie with the sleeves slightly ripped up. She looked around the room, raising an eyebrow as she did while she got herself up off the bed, noticing that there had been a table as well.

"... Where the fuck am I?"

She looked to the window and noticed how the moon looked. In all honesty it didn't look real to her as she tapped on what she assumed was glass.

"It's fake…? Is this some sort of prank?"

She soon looked to the table and saw what looked to be an assortment of two weapons and a gun holster; A combat knife that looked to be military issued, and a standard pistol with extra bullets, a bag and a knife holster that could wrap around her leg. She took hold of the two weapons and looked closely at them.

"Okay, that's not unsettling at all… But I might as well take them."

She put on the gun holster and put the gun in it's compartment making sure it was her size, and placed the combat knife with the sheath that was provided on the table. She than wrapped the knife holster around her right leg, before putting the knife in its put the extra bullets in the bag before she threw it over her shoulder. Fixing herself up before she walked out of the room through the only door that had been provided in the room.

She looked down the dark hallway and a bunch of cameras placed on the ceiling, practically everywhere actually. She still couldn't help but wonder exactly what she had been doing there in the first place as she thought to herself. Though it hadn't been long before she recalled, at least a little bit.

"That's right… I was at the police station… But… I wasn't supposed to be there."

As she went further down the hall she noticed another open door. She didn't think much of it, until she heard a groan. She quickly made her way towards the sound and looked inside. There she saw inside she saw a child, a girl with long golden hair with blue eyes; she had on a shirt with black and white stripes and a black choker; she also had on a pair of black boots and a small messenger bag.

"... Where are am I?" The girl said.

It hadn't been long before she notice Kristen at the door; she jumped at the sight at the sight of her, while Kristen didn't seem phased. "Who… Who are you?" The girl with golden hair asked fearfully.

"I should ask you that." Kristen said as she stepped into the room, "Though it's safe to say that you're not the one that put me in this place, even if it was a prank." The girl looked to her fearfully, but her expression softened slightly.

"You didn't take me here did you?" The girl asked with a suspicious look on her face.

"If I did, I probably would've acted like a generic super Villain." Kristen couldn't help but joke, "But I might be just as confused as you are."

"Oh." The girl said sadly.

She soon approached her, keeping herself at a respectable distance as not to frighten her, "... If you don't mind me asking… Do you remember how you got here? Because I can't seem to recall myself."

The girl with golden hair shook her head, "... I'm sorry, but… I just remember being in the hospital for concealing… and that's it." She looked down at her feet, "My mom and dad are probably wondering where I am right now…"

"Right, of course." Kristen said, rubbing her head a little before she mumbled to herself, "Guess we're stuck on the same boat." The two of them stayed silent as they were still unsure of each other, or at least the the child before her was unsure of the older girl before them.

Kristen sensed this before she turned back to them, "Look…" She started to say, "... I know your parents probably taught you not to talk to strangers let alone trust them but, you and I can't remember how we got here or, why we're even here… And there's no one else here but us, so what do you say we help each other out?"

The girl placed her finger underneath her chin as she thought to herself; it hadn't been long before she replied, "I guess that's alright, as long as I get back to my parents."

Kristen smiled at this before she asked, "What's your name?"

"I'm Rachel Gardner." The girl with golden hair replied, "How about you?"

"Name's Kristen." She replied, "Kristen Waterson. Nice to meet you Rachel."

She soon held out her hand to her, "Now… Let's get out of here."

Rachel nodded with a little smile of her own, before she took her hand; They went out of the room with Rachel noticing the camera's everywhere in every direction watching them. Kristen and Rachel walked down the one path, eventually reaching an elevator at the end of the hall, that had been blocked by a gate. "I guess that's our way out." Kristen said letting go of Rachel.

She reached for the door before trying to pull it, though it didn't seem to budge. "Fuck…" She mumbled, before turning to Rachel, "The gates locked."

Rachel soon noticed something on the gate, "There's a card reader." She said, "There might be a key somewhere."

"Not bad thinking there kiddo." She said with a smile. Though it hadn't been long before she noticed something on the wall. Just nearby, next to a door just across from them, there had been a writing that looked to be hard to read. The two of them went away from the gate and towards whatever had been written on the wall. Kristen brushed away some of the dust that had been on it, so that they could see it clearly.

"Who put this here?" Kristen wondered aloud.

Rachel looked at the writing and began to read it aloud, " _Who art thou? To know thou must find out thyself. Is it thine true self? Or thine desired self?..._ _ **An angel or a sacrifice**_ _? Know thyself, and the gate shall open._ " Rachel couldn't help but looked to it curiously, "What do you think it means?"

"Don't know." Kristen replied, "But I don't really like the sound of it." She picked up her head before looking to the door, "Since this is the only other room, let's see if there's a key in there."

Rachel nodded to her in agreement.

Kristen went to open the door, that had been surprisingly unlocked and Rachel followed her inside. When they stepped into the room, they saw it had been filled with mirrors but most of them didn't bare any of their reflections; There had also been a single desk with a laptop, and what looked there looked to be a card in a machine of some kind. "That might open the gate." Rachel said, before she approached the machine. She tried to take the card from the machine but it appeared to be stuck. "I can't get it out." She said.

"Maybe there's something in here we can use to get it out." Kristen said, "Let's take a look around."

"Okay." Rachel said before she went to the end of the room, looking under the table provided while Kristen started to look on the opposite side of the room. Though no matter how hard they looked they just couldn't seem to find anything to help out to get the card.

"No reflection huh?" Kristen said, when she approached on of the mirrors, waving her hand a little. " _What the hell kind of a place is this?_ " She couldn't help but think to herself, " _Who in there right mind designed this anyway?_ "

"Kristen!" She heard Rachel call out. She turned to her and saw her standing in front of the mirror in the middle, "There's one here that has a reflection!"

Kristen went by her side as she saw that she had been right, as she saw herself and Rachel within the mirror. "It's just us." Rachel said.

"If this mirror is standing out from the rest, than maybe it might have something to help us get the card out." Kristen said, before she looked to the gun she picked up earlier, "If I break it we'll get somewhere…"

Rachel's eyes widened at this, "But you can't do that!" She said, "You'll get seven years of bad luck if you break a mirror!"

"I would gladly welcome bad luck compared to wherever we are right now. Besides it's the only thing we have to go on!" Kristen reasoned as she took the gun from the holster before she pointed it towards the mirror turning the safety off.

"I guess that's true, but even so-!"

"You're gonna want to stand back and shut your ears, cause this is gonna get loud."

Just before Kristen could pull the trigger they jumped when they saw the computer turn on in the reflection; they turned towards the computer, as they were confused as to why it turned on by itself.

"Or we can check that out…" Kristen said awkwardly, before she put the gun back in it's holster after she turned the safety back on.

They both looked and saw that there had been nothing on the screen. It hadn't been long before a computerized voice. " _THE INFO SCREEN IS NOW OPEN._ " It said, " _PLEASE_ _ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS. NAME?_ "

Kristen and Rachel looked to one another as they were both confused by this, but they both felt compelled to answer.

"Umm… Kristen Waterson?" Kristen said though she felt more confused by whatever had been happening right now.

"Rachel Gardner?" Rachel added as confused as she was.

The computer typed in their names by itself before the computerized voice came again.

" _AGE?_ " It said.

"Nineteen?" Kristen answered.

"Thirteen." Rachel soon replied.

The computer typed it in, before it continued, " _WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?_ "

" _That's what I wanna know damn it!_ " Kristen thought to herself as she was getting annoyed, " _What's the point in doing this anyway!? Is this person or whoever they are trying to play with us!?_ "

Though she soon heard Rachel answer, "I was in the hospital, but when I came too, I was here."

Kristen her answer appear on the screen; she let out a sigh, " _I guess I don't have much of a choice…_ " She soon answered the question, "... I think I was in the police station, or something or other… But when I woke up, I was here…"

Rachel looked at her with a questioning look, at Kristen's answer, before her attention had been drawn back to the computer.

" _WHY?_ " It said.

The two of them stayed silent as they didn't understand how to answer it. " _WHY?_ " It repeated, " _WHY THE HOSPITAL AND THE STATION?_ "

Both of them looked to one another as they both had a worried and fearful look on their faces, as if they were unsure how the other would react to each other. Rachel had been the first to answer, as she put a hand to her chest; she was a bit hesitant though.

"I…" She began, "... _**I saw someone die**_ … It happened right in front of me… So… I was brought there for counseling."

Kristen's eyes widened slightly at this as she was just shocked by this. She could only imagine how traumatizing it must've been for her to witness a murder though she had been surprised to see that she wasn't really phased; must be strong willed is what she thought. " _AND YOU?_ " The computerized voice said making Kristen snapped out of thought, " _WHY THE POLICE STATION?_ "

Kristen looked over to Rachel, before she let out a sigh, "I was framed… For a crime I didn't commit… I was supposed to go to the courthouse to plead my case but… I'm not sure what happened after that…"

This time Rachel was the one who looked shocked, as her expression softened a little; She placed her hand over hers noticing that she had been shaking and Kristen couldn't help but smile at this.

" _WHAT WILL YOU DO NOW?_ " The computerized voice asked.

Kristen took Rachel's hand, clenching it slightly before she replied, "We want to get out of this place. I want to tell the judge that they're convicting the wrong person."

"I want to go home to my mom and dad." Rachel said, "That's all I want now."

The computer let out a beep sound followed by a click, making the two of them jump, "- _ENTRY COMPLETE. DISTURBING PLAY START KEY CARD._ "

"Play start? The hell does that even mean?" Kristen said before they noticed the machine release the keycard in the card dispenser. "Well, at least we got the key to the gate." Rachel said picking up the keycard.

"Finally." Kristen said, "Let's go, before things start to get really freaky."

Once more they approached the gate, and the card did indeed get the gate open. They approached the elevator had been open, as if it was waiting for them. They noticed beside the elevator it only had one button, pointing up.

"We're… In the basement…?" Kristen said, "I don't remember coming here."

"Me neither." Rachel said, "... Where do you think it'll take us?"

"Let's find out, shall we?" She said before gently taking her hand. Thus they both stepped into the elevator. The moment they did the elevator doors closed shut. They soon heard the speakers that had been provided in the elevator come online. They soon heard an announcement come on, " _The guests on the bottom floor, have been selected as sacrifices. All residents on each floor, please make your preparations._ "

Both of their eyes widened at this announcement as they both had shocked looks on their faces; They both jumped slightly when they felt the elevator start to move up.

"Sacrifices?" Kristen said only confused, "Alright, now they're really just playing with us!"

"That announcement just now…" Rachel said, "... You don't think it was talking about us do you?"

"I really hope not." She replied, fixing up her jacket a little, "I'm just hoping that this will take us outside so that we can-"

 _ **CLANG.**_

They stumbled again when the elevator came to a stop, taking them by surprise. " _Beyond here lies the play area._ " The announcement soon said, " _The gate will now open._ "

"Play area?" Kristen and Rachel said both of them surprised. The doors opened revealing what looked to be some kind of a city. Though something looked off, as they saw there had been no sky above, as every corner looked dark and covered in shadows. They looked up and saw above their heads there was nothing but a line of pipes and a few lights that were dimly lit.

"Seriously!?" Kristen exclaimed, quickly coming to a conclusion, "We're still inside the building!?"

"I guess the elevator took us only one floor up." Rachel said looking to the counter provided in the elevator, "We're on B7 but now we're on B6."

"You're kidding!?" Kristen couldn't help but say in an annoyed tone of voice, "Who the fu-" She stopped herself as she looked at Rachel, before she picked up her sentence, "-Fudge designed this elevator!? I can't even— Who does that?! Why design an elevator if you're only going to take it up one floor!?"

"Calm down." Rachel said patting her arm, "Maybe we can still get outside."

"How's that?" Kristen asked.

"There could be a set of stairs, on this floor, or maybe another elevator." She replied, "If we look hard enough maybe we'll find it."

Kristen didn't know exactly what to say or retort as she couldn't help but feel that she made a good point. Though she couldn't help but find this place unsettling to the core as her hands shook slightly when she looked to the area once more. "You make a good point kiddo." Kristen said, "It doesn't seem like we've got much of choice anyway. Just be sure to stay close to me, and run when I tell you to, got it?"

"Got it." The young girl said as she nodded.

She placed her hand on the gun before they made their way out of the elevator, and onto the floor. They went down through the alleyway turning every corner, keeping an eye for anything that could help them. Kristen kept a hold on the gun in case they had encountered something dangerous, which seemed to be likely given their situation.

It seemed like hours as they turned towards one corner after another, as it seemed like they were going in circles.

"This place seems like a maze." Rachel said.

"Yeah…" Kristen added, "... It's definitely a place I've never been too before." They soon stopped when they saw something peculiar out of the corner of their eye; A newspaper clipping on the wall, that looked a little torn up. "That looks a little recent." Kristen said as she saw the date on the newspaper.

"It might shed some light on this place." Rachel added.

Kristen removed her hand from the gun, as and took the newspaper off of the wall. "A Reckless Murderer?" Kristen read aloud, "On XXX late last night, the body of a male was found on the street of XXX in the state of XXX. The body has gaping wounds seemingly inflicted with a sharp blade. Authorities are treating as a murder. Since last month, a string of similar murders have taken place in the state. No association or similarities have been drawn with the victim, so nearby residents are asked to exercise caution."

"An article about a murder?" Rachel said, "… I think I've heard about it on the TV somewhere…"

"Me too… Only problem is it doesn't really tell us much doesn't it?" Kristen said.

They both jumped when they heard something break in the distance; they both stopped in their tracks. Kristens put her hand back in the gun and tightened her grip, as Rachel put her hands together, as they looked around a bit frantically.

"What do you think that was?" Rachel asked as she was frightened.

Kristen noticed this as she used her free hand to take her hand as to comfort her. "We should hurry and find the exit." She told her, before they went further down the path as Rachel held onto her hand tightly. " _None of this is right_." Kristen thought to herself, " _Sacrifices, residents of the floor, a kid in this building and not knowing what the fuck happened before hand. This shit is too weird. Why would anyone bring me into this place let alone a little kid? The hell is the supposed to be a Saw movie?_ "

When they turned another corner, they saw the path they were going to go down was a dead end, and the only other two ways was what looked to be an entrance to a room as well as the windows, but had been blocked by planks of wood and another open pathway towards the dead end. They saw at the end of the hallway they saw what looked to be blood on the walls, and something else that caused flies to buzz around. Her eyes widened when she saw what it had been.

"That smell-" Rachel said putting her hand over her nose, "-That's not what I think it is, is it?"

"Rachel, close your eyes." Kristen told her.

Rachel looked to her a bit confused, "Why?"

"Just do it, okay?"

"Okay."

Rachel put her hands over her eyes, and Kristen lead her away from the scene, towards the other open path. She couldn't help but cringe at the sight of the body, as she saw the body was cut in half revealing the insides that were already rotten and maggots had been crawling all over it; She tried her best not to throw up at the sight.

" _I don't know what the fuck this place is… But I don't like it every second I'm here. I have to hurry and get us out of—Whatever this is._ "

When she saw that she and her were away from the body, she tapped on Rachel's shoulder signally her to open her eyes. "Thank you." Rachel said.

"Just didn't want you getting sick on me." Kristen said, just as they turned the corner. There they found another dead end; or at least they thought they did. They saw what looked to be the door.

"Oh thank God!" Kristen said, "An exit out of this place!" They both ran towards the door, and saw the sign next to the door that had read, "Emergency Exit; Elevator Passage."

"We're saved!" Rachel said, "Thank goodness."

Kristen went to get the door open but stopped when she saw, while there was a knob, but no keyhole. " **WHAT!?** " Kristen shouted as she started to kick the door, " **ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THIS CRAP!? YOU MOTHER FUCKING PIECE OF-** "

Rachel quickly went to shush her as she tried to pull her away from the door, "Kristen stop! Someone might hear you!"

"Sorry, but I'm in the middle of a rage session right now!" She said before she went back to hitting the door with Rachel trying her best to calm her down, " **WHEN I FIND WHO DESIGNED THIS KIND OF A SHITTY HELL HOLE IMMA GONNA GIVE THEM A NEW ONE, AND BEAT THEM UP SO BAD THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE BORN INTO THE NEXT LIFE! YOU HEAR ME YOU ASSHOLE!?** "

" _H_ - _Ello-? Is-one—H-Ello?_ "

The two of them stopped when they heard something peculiar as Kristen stopped kicking the metal door, and Rachel stopped trying to shush her. They heard what appeared to be static, echoing through the halls a little. They followed the sound going away from the door; they had gotten closer to the sounds with the static getting a bit louder as they both kept silent. They saw an open gap with a patch of dirt and saw something partly buried.

"It's coming from here." Rachel said in a hushed tone of voice.

"I'm too big to fit." Kristen said looking at the opening, "Think you can?"

"I'll try." She replied, before she crawled through the open gap. Kristen watched as she unburied whatever had been in the dirt. It hadn't been long before Rachel went back towards her, with Kristen helping her come back through.

She saw that Rachel had been holding a small yellow walkie-talkie, as she handed it to her. She pressed the button that had been on it's side, causing the light that had been provided to turn from red to green and making the static stop.

"Hello?" Kristen said to whoever had been on the other side of the walkie talkie.

Soon enough a voice came through; this belonging to another girl, " _You need to stay quiet, or he'll find you._ "

Kristen and Rachel turned to one another as they were both shocked that someone else had been in this place like they were. They stayed as silent as possible as they decided to try to find who had the other walkie talkie.

"You don't have to be afraid." Kristen said to the girl as they walked forward, "... I'm not a monster."

" _... That's good._ " The girl said, " _... Are you the sacrifice the lady talk about?_ "

"... Are you one too?"

"... _Yes._ "

That confirms it, is what she thought to herself. At the very least she can be considered a friendly that her and Rachel could trust… Probably.

"What's your name?" Kristen asked.

" _... I'm Faith._ " The girl replied.

"Hi there Faith. My name's Kristen." She said.

" _Are you alone?_ "

"No. I'm with a girl named Rachel. Are you by any chance hiding somewhere?"

The girl stayed silent for a few moments before she replied hesitantly, "... _My brother told me to hide. I had no choice. I had to hide so that he wouldn't find me._ "

Kristen looked confused by this as did Rachel before she asked, "Hide from who?"

"... _**The resident of this floor**_." The girl replied.

Kristen let go of the button before turning to Rachel as she pondered a thought, "I don't know about you kiddo, but Faith seems to know about what's going on more than we do."

"Can you ask her to meet us?" Rachel asked.

"You read my mind kiddo." Kristen said before she pressed the button again, "Hey Faith? Can you meet us? We can help each other to get out of this place."

" _... People tried to get out, but…_ " Faith started to say, " _... All of them ended up dying. I'm sure my brothers met the same fate too_. _I haven't seen him in a long time._ "

"It'll be different this time." Kristen said, "I can help you and Rachel get out, okay? You just have to trust me. I need to know that I can trust you though. So let's meet"

Faith stayed silent for a moment before asking, "... _Do you promise to get me out?_ "

Kristen this time answered a bit hesitantly, "... I… I promise." Silence came in once more, filling the void, only the sound of the fans humming nearby was the only thing that would be heard. Faith's voice soon came back on, " _Meet me where you found the blood, but stay quiet._ " The walkie talkie soon disconnected itself and Kristen handed the walkie talkie back to Rachel. "You hang onto this kiddo." She said as she did this, "Finders and keepers you know. Let's go meet this Faith."

 _CHIRP, CHIRP._

"Wait, hold on!" Rachel said stopping Kristen as she nearly tripped on herself.

"Now what!?" She whispered in a somewhat annoyed voice.

"I hear a bird." She said before she went to follow the sound, leaving Kristen confused.

She saw Rachel through a small gap within a wall, as she climbed up on a wooden crate provided before she got something out; it was indeed a little white bird, though it's wing looked to be bloody.

"It's hurt." Rachel said looking to the bird with a sympathetic look, "I don't think it can fly."

Kristen kneeled over slightly looking at the bird. "You're right." She said, "Poor thing, it must've caught it's wing in something."

Rachel couldn't help but stroke the little birds head, as to comfort it, when it tried to move its wing only to have felt the pain from the wound as it let out a cry. She looked up to Kristen giving her a hopeful expression as if asking her something. Though she didn't say anything, Kristen could tell what she had been asking her.

"You want to bring the little bird along do you?" She asked.

All Rachel did was nod her head in reply, and Kristen sighed, while rubbing her eyebrows. " _I can't say no to that face_." She thought to herself before saying to her, "Just make you sure you keep track of the little guy. I'll keep an eye for anything we can use to treat that wound. Now let's go." Once more Rachel nodded and followed Kristen; going back the way they came to where they first found the blood, which had been in front of the door that was boarded.

Kristen looked around the area, "This is where we're supposed to meet her. Rachel do you see anyone?"

"No." Rachel replied.

They jumped at the sound of footsteps, and Kristen draw the gun again, pointing in the direction of the sounds. Her body shook a little as she felt the fear rise in her chest. A person soon stepped out of the shadows, another young girl that looked to be fifteen or fourteen. She had dark brown hair with low pigtails and eyes that of green like an emerald; She had on a pair of cracked glasses and looked to be wearing a uniform, consisting of a white collared shirt a long black skirt and brown shoes; her outfit looked stained. She had on a brown school bag, a silver watch was seen on her wrist, though it looked to be broken. She saw as she held her hands in the air, she had a walkie talkie that looked to be stained with a bit of blood.

"... Are you Faith…?" Kristen asked.

The girl nodded, "Are you two the sacrifices?"

"... I guess." Rachel replied.

Seeing as how she had been the person they were meeting, Kristen put the gun in the holster and in turn, Faith put her hands on her side.

"Glad to see that someone found the other walkie talkie my brother hid from him." Faith said, "Let me guess… You two woke up in a room, and you don't remember how you got there?"

"You're on the money with that one kid." Kristen said.

"Did it happen to you too?" Rachel asked.

Faith nodded her head in reply, fixing up her glasses a little, "... I woke up here with my brother. I remember he came to pick me up from school and we were on our way home. We decided to take a shortcut, but after that it's all fuzzy."

"... Does that mean you don't know what's happening?" Rachel asked once again.

"Not necessarily, but I do have an idea." She replied.

"Than feel free to enlighten us here Faith." Kristen said, "Cause you're one of the—or well, the _**ONLY**_ other person that has a sound mind as to what the hell is going on!"

"Calm down… Kristen right?" Faith said, "I'll tell you what I know, but you have to keep your promise as to get us out of here."

Kristen froze up a little again at the word promise; she didn't know why but she felt a little uneasy. She gulped a little before she said, "I know I got it."

"The only thing I've managed to figure out is that, this building has more than one floor." Faith started to explain, "I'm not sure how many there are exactly, but each one contains an elevator that can take us one floor up. When brother was still with me, we tried to get that passage to the elevator open, but… We couldn't find the controls."

Kristen and Rachel's eyes widened slightly as they looked to where the elevator had been. "So I was right from before than." Rachel said.

Kristen couldn't help but let a groan, "Look, we figured that part out already. Can you tell us anything useful?"

Faith looked to them surprised, "You mean… You two didn't figure out that announcement?"

The two of them looked confused at this, which made Faith's jaw drop slightly, "You haven't had you?"

"What do you mean?" Kristen asked.

Faith soon replied, "You two are chosen as the new sacrifices, like my brother and I have been, and probably others before us. I was lucky enough to survive him but-"

"Who are you talking about!?"

"I already told you, the resident on this floor."

"You said that earlier but that doesn't clear up anything! You're being completely-"

"I mean there's a killer on this floor!"

Thus there was silence once more as their eyes widened for who knew how many times as they let the new found information sink in. "A…" Rachel said fearfully, "... Killer? Are you serious?"

Faith had a fearful look as well as she replied, "... Yes… The resident here, and probably on the other floors, have killers."

"So… You're saying…" Kristen started to stammer her body trembling, "... You're telling us that… They're most likely crazy psychopathic murders… That want to kill us…?"

Faith nodded again, "That's what the announcement meant by sacrifices… We're meant to be the lives the killers take next. If this person on the floor doesn't kill us here, than the resident on the next floor might."

Rachel looked down to her feet as she processed, while Kristen steadied herself since she had been on the verge of fainting. Killers? There were actual killers in this very building with them! Who knew how many of them their could be! This is something like out of a horror movie the more Kristen thought about it! She had her doubts though they had been overcome by her anxiety and fear. They only had one choice now.

"I was right to think this…" Kristen began to say, "... This place is all kinds of messed up… We _**HAVE**_ gotta get out of here."

"It's probably not gonna matter." Faith said hopelessly, "Like I said, other people tried to get out, but they're probably all dead by now."

"You'd rather just wait around and wait for some crazy person to come kill you than?!" The young woman yelled.

"We got to try something!" Rachel said, "If we can just find the controls to the elevator than we'll have a chance!"

"But I just said—" Faith said before getting cut off by a peculiar sound.

 _ **SHING.**_

Is what they heard making them freeze up. The bird that was in Rachel's hands jumped off fluttering on a little as it went in front of the door that had been boarded up.

"Wait!" Rachel said going after it, "Don't be scared little one."

She kneeled down towards it as the bird began to chirp a little, while pointing towards the boarded up door, which Faith had been confused by, but Kristen on the other hand couldn't help but find it odd.

"It's alright." Rachel said, holding her hand out to the bird, "Come over here, I'll keep you safe."

The light flickered slightly above, drawing Faith's attention towards it, while Kristen kept her eyes on the bird. The bird kept turning back to Rachel while it moved it's head to the door. That's when she saw it as the flicker stop between the wooden boards… _**Something had reflected off what looked to be metal**_.

Rachel gave a smile to the bird as to give it comfort, "Let's get out of here together… Okay?"

" **RACHEL, MOVE AWAY FROM THERE!** " Kristen yelled suddenly.

Rachel looked to Kristen confused, just as Kristen herself saw whoever had been holding the metal object move to break it. " **LOOK OUT!** " She yelled as she moved quick.

She took hold of Rachel, and jumped away from the entryway, just as the wooden boards were sliced in halves by something sharp. Blood seemed to have appeared and stain the floor and part of Rachel's face as her eyes widened in horror, and causing Faith to let out a scream just as Kristen and her landed on the floor.

There that stood before them was a man, wielding a scythe, as he let out a bawl of laughter as the three of them were soon paralyzed with fear.

( _ **Ending Theme: Angels of Death Ending-Pray Performed By Haruka Chisuga**_ )


	2. Chapter 2: The Killer on B6

( _ **Opening Theme: Shiki Opening 1-Kiss Performed By BUCK-TICK**_ )

The bird kept turning back to Rachel while it moved it's head to the door. That's when she saw it as the flicker stop between the wooden boards… _**Something had reflected off what looked to be metal**_.

Rachel gave a smile to the bird as to give it comfort, "Let's get out of here together… Okay?"

" **RACHEL, MOVE AWAY FROM THERE!** " Kristen yelled suddenly.

Rachel looked to Kristen confused, just as Kristen herself saw whoever had been holding the metal object move to break it. " **LOOK OUT!** " She yelled as she moved quick.

She took hold of Rachel, and jumped away from the entryway, just as the wooden boards were sliced in halves by something sharp. Blood seemed to have appeared and stain the floor and part of Rachel's face as her eyes widened in horror, and causing Faith to let out a scream just as Kristen and her landed on the floor.

There that stood before them was a man, wielding a scythe, as he let out a bawl of laughter while they were soon paralyzed with fear. The man was tall and appeared to be in his twenties, as he wore a brown hoodie that had been stained with blood; he had on a pair of red pants with black linings and black boots, and he appeared to have bandages covering his face and hands and had a hood over his face, though they could see that his eyes were unequally dilated.

Finally he spoke, "That was a real satisfying look on your face! But now, it's turned into a face of despair!" He looked over to Kristen and Faith, as he gave another laugh, "All of your looks are turning into despair! Oh, this is going to be so much fun for me!" Kristen, Faith, or Rachel couldn't find the words to say as they were still shaking. Kristen stood up from the ground grabbing a hold of Rachel who had been frozen and had gotten Faith to go behind her.

" _Who the fuck is this guy!?_ " Kristen exclaimed in her thoughts, " _Don't tell me-_ " She looked over to Faith, before turning back to the man before them, "- _He's the killer on this floor that Faith talked about!?_ "

"I'll give you all three seconds." The man said as he held up three fingers, "So… Try to outrun me if you can."

" _He-He can't be fucking serious, right!? He's got to be joking about this right!?_ "

The three of them jumped when he suddenly gotten up close to Kristen's face as he said, "And one more thing! Be sure to cry, scream, and beg for your lives! Let me see more of it- **THE FACES OF DESPAIR!** "

To their horror, he started to countdown.

"3…!"

" _Oh fuck me, he's wasn't kidding!_ " Kristen exclaimed in her head, before she turned to Faith and grabbed Rachel's hand, "Run now!"

"Running!" Faith said before following behind Kristen and Rachel.

"2…~!"

Rachel nearly tripped on herself though Kristen was quick to catch her before she could hit the ground. "Come on! Don't go tripping on me now!" Kristen said, despite her voice sounding more fearful than it did tough.

"1!"

Thus the man began to laugh again, as he started to run after them. Kristen looked back and saw at the pace he was going. Despite the fact that he was holding a scythe over his shoulder he was starting to catch up to them.

" _Shit this is bad! He's moving so fast that he's bound to catch one of us! I've got to do something!_ "

They quickly turned down the first corner they saw, with the killer following. Kristen soon noticed a couple of barrels and boxes on top of one another held together by a rope; she hatched an idea. " **KEEP GOING**!" She yelled before she practically threw Rachel ahead of making her nearly trip again; Faith ran passed her before stopping in her tracks, " **WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!** " Faith yelled.

Kristen didn't reply as she pulled out the knife she from her holster. She worked quick as she saw the killer coming towards her. She held the knife as if she was a cook and started to cut ropes as fast as she could. Just as he was within reach, she gotten the last rope cut, and allowed the barrels and boxes to fall in between them making the two of them move back, They shielded their eyes to protect them from the dust cloud. When it settled they saw the barrels and boxes that had collapsed on each other made a makeshift wall.

"Did…" Rachel said before coughing a little, "... Did you get him?"

"I don't think so." Kristen replied as she put the knife away, "But at least it'll buy us a few minutes at best."

 _ **SWISH!**_

They jumped when they saw the scythe blade slice dead in the middle, as the fear started to rise again. "I think it's more like a minute now!" Faith said.

" **SHUT UP AND RUN!** " Kristen yelled taking Rachel's hand again; the three of them started to run again just as the killer sliced his way through the debris. They quickly ran into a room that had been up ahead of them and ran inside, before Faith shit the door locking it.

"He's just too fast!" Faith said, "He's gonna end up catching us if we just run!"

"Than we gotta hide!" Kristen said as she looked around the room. She saw two lockers, a table in the middle and a cabinet, and a chest. The first place she went to was the chest and she quickly got it open.

"We're not gonna fit in there!" Faith said with a whisper.

"We're not, but you are!" Kristen said before she lifted Rachel up, catching her by surprise. She placed her inside the chest making sure she was secure, though before she could close Rachel grabbed her shirt.

"Please don't leave me in here Kristen!" She said with fear in her voice.

"I have no choice, this is the only way you're going to be safe." She told her trying her best to sound comforting as possible, "Don't worry, as long as you stay quiet he won't find you."

"But what if he does, and he ends up killing me?!" Rachel said, "What will—"

They soon heard footsteps in the distance, making them turn to the door. Kristen turned back to Rachel before saying, "Rachel listen to me, you're not going to die here! I swear on my life that you're going to come out of this chest alive! I need you to trust me, okay?"

Rachel's hands trembled before she put them together as if she had been praying, "I… I trust you." She eventually said, as she looked to her red eyes with her ocean blue ones.

"Good girl." Kristen said before closing the chest. As they the footsteps drawing near, Faith quickly got into the cabinet nearby and Kristen ran inside one of the lockers provided within the room. Through the gap she saw the scythe's blade break the door, making an opening for him to peak through before he kicked the door down. With the scythe over his shoulder, he stepped into the room and started to look around.

"Where are you little bitches?" She heard him say, "Are you playing hide and seek?"

Kristen put her hands over her mouth to prevent herself from gasping, when she saw him walk towards the chest where Rachel had been hiding. He put his foot over it, "Hey! Come on out of there!"

There was a pause, for only a moment before she heard him speak again, "Yeah, I guess I wouldn't come out either." He let out a giggle, before he swung his scythe into the chest, making Kristen flinch a little in the locker.

She heard him click his tongue as he removed the scythe, "Damn it… I missed."

Kristen breathed out a sigh of relief, "Thank God." She mouthed as she saw him leave. At least that's what she thought he was going to do, until she saw him put his foot back onto the chest and went to swing his scythe into the chest again.

" _No!_ " She exclaimed in her thoughts just as it made an impact, causing her to squeeze her eyes shut at the sound. She opened her eyes to see his scythe still in the chest, as her eyes widened in horror.

" _He didn't get her did he?_ "

She heard him click his tongue again, "... She's not here huh?" He said as he removed the scythe, "The red eye bitch… I wonder she could be? She's got some serious balls to fight back. Can't help but want to cut her up though."

" _He's talking about me?!_ "

She jumped when she saw him suddenly in front of the lockers. She held her breath, as he went to swing his scythe at the locker next to her; she felt a slight bump at the side of the of the locker, nearly breaking the metal; she almost let out a squeak but held it together as she started to sweat.

He removed the scythe from the locker before standing at the one she had been currently hiding in; She backed up from the door as to avoid him seeing her eyes when he looked inside. The darkness around her in the locker didn't help as she almost started to hyperventilate when she found herself surrounded in it.

" _Keep it together! Keep it together! Keep it together!_ _You can't let him find you! You can't let him find you! If he finds me-He'll kill me!_ "

The killer soon backed off from the locker as he said, "She's not here either. Probably the same with four eyes." Thus he saw him walk out of the room, the sound of his footsteps disappearing as he got further away.

Kristen practically threw herself out of the locker and she slumped over the table as she started to give out uneven breaths. Rachel and Faith soon emerged from their hiding places letting them breathe a sigh of relief..

"That was close…" Faith said, "... I really thought he was going to kill us."

Rachel soon noticed how Kristen was as she went to pat her on the shoulder, "Kristen?" She said, shaking her a little, "Are you okay?"

Kristen looked to Rachel before she wiped the sweat off of her forehead, "I'm alright." She said after taking a deep breath standing up, staggering a little, "More importantly, we've gotta find a way to open that door."

"But it's gonna be impossible now that he's going to be looking for us!" Faith said.

"Than we'll move discreetly." Kristen told her, "We just have to find the controls to that door before he finds us." She soon looked to the weapons she had been carrying, " _If it really comes down to it… I might have to fight him. It might end up killing me, but it's better than letting these two die._ "

"The bird…" Rachel suddenly said taking the two back. Before any of them could ask, Rachel ran out of the other door that had been available and sprinted ahead.

"Rachel wait!" Kristen called out before running after her.

"Where are you going!?" Faith exclaimed before running after them.

Eventually they found themselves back at the sight where the killer made himself known, but this time there had been a fresh puddle of blood from the little bird. They found Rachel kneeling down holding the now dead bird in her hands; it's body had been cut in half.

"It's dead…" Rachel said to them sadly.

"Oh no…" Faith said as she had a solemn look, "... The poor creature…"

Kristen went over by Rachel's side before giving her a pat on her head, "... I'm sorry."

Rachel shook her head saying nothing as she held the bird close to her. "Kristen…?" She soon said, "... Before we go any further… Can we at least give it a proper burial?"

"I think that'll be just fine for the little guy." Kristen replied before turning to Faith, "What do you think?"

Faith hesitantly replied, "I… Guess so."

Rachel stood up from the ground and they started to make their way away from the scene as quietly and quickly as they could. They had returned to where they had found the other walkie talkie as Rachel still held onto the little bird, not caring if her fingers were all bloodied.

"I'll be fine by myself." Rachel said to Kristen as she gave her a small reassuring smile, "... Just wait here for me."

Kristen nodded before she said, "I'll let you know if there's any trouble."

Rachel nodded before she crawled through the open patch, while Kristen and her waited in the area for her. Rachel looked around the the area as she soon spotted a shovel nearby. Placing the bird's body nearby, she took the shovel and dug a small hall big enough for the little bird to fit in, but just before she put the little bird inside-

"No… You're not my little birdy. Not like this. You shouldn't look like this… It's too cruel… You shouldn't look so pitiful." Her eyes suddenly looked like the life had been drained out of them. She looked to the messenger bag before digging through it, pulling out a needle and thread.

"Don't worry… You won't feel anymore pain… _**I'll fix you up to be my own bird**_."

As Kristen and Faith waited for Rachel to finish up, they both couldn't help but feel uneasy at the slightest of sound they heard in the distance; Kristen almost drew her gun, as her hand trembled a little. "I feel like I'm in a nightmare that I can't wake up from." Faith soon said, breaking the silence between them.

"I know how you feel." Kristen said, as she let her hand fall to her side, "This shit really is like something out one of those horror slasher films. This is all kinds of messed up…"

Faith soon asked her, "You two know where I've been, but… I don't know about what happened to the either of you."

Kristen soon replied, "From what I understand… Rachel was in the hospital for counseling."

"Why?" Faith asked.

This time Kristen had been hesitant to answer as she soon responded, "... She said… She saw someone die…"

Faith gasped at this as she put her hand over her mouth, "Was it… Someone she knew…?"

"She didn't say… Honestly I don't think she wants to. It's understandable if it was someone close to her. She just wants to get back to her parents now."

Faith looked down as she couldn't help but sympathize with Rachel as she looked to where she had been. "Than… What about you?" She soon asked Kristen, "Where were you before you found yourself here?"

"I was arrested." Kristen replied turning her head away, "Was in a police station before I somehow found myself in this hellhole."

"Does that mean you're a criminal?" She asked curiously.

"No… _**I was framed**_. The classic wrong place wrong time kind of deal. I was supposed to go and plead my case but I'm not sure what happened after that."

"That's horrible!"

"I hear you man, it seems that more innocent people these days are put in prison rather than the guilty. Happens more than you know when you really think about it."

"So… What was the crime?"

Kristen had been a bit taken back as she looked over to Faith as she looked at her confused; it was almost as if she didn't understand her question. "The crime you were framed of." Faith clarified, "What was it? I'm kind of curious."

"My crime…?" Kristen started to say.

Kristen started to feel an ache in her head as she tried to think of her answer. Everytime she tried however something in her head just seemed to have block her out. She leaned back against the wall as she tried to keep herself from falling which took Faith back. "Kristen?" She said worried.

"My crime…?" She repeated as her body shook a little while vision became a blur a little, "My… Crime…?"

She tried to think of an answer to give but she couldn't find it, "... _I can't… Remember…?_ "

"I'm done." They soon heard Rachel say snapping Kristen out of thought. They both saw Rachel had crawled through the gap that had been provided before she started brush off the dirt off of her hands and whatever she had been holding. "That took a little longer than I thought." Kristen said, "What were doing?"

"I was just paying my respects to the little bird." Rachel replied, "It wouldn't be able to rest peacefully otherwise."

Kristen nodded in understanding, "I see. Guess you're one of those people."

Faith soon noticed that Rachel had been holding something in her hand, "What's that?" She asked. Rachel wondered what she was talking about until she realized that she had been talking about the little object. "It fell out of the little bird." Rachel said showing the two of them that it had been a key, "I think it swallowed it."

Faith took the key from her hand and examined it closely, her eyes brightened a little at the sight of the key. "What is it?" Kristen asked.

"I know where this key goes!" Kristen said with a small smile, "Follow me! Quickly!" This time Faith ran ahead of them, with Kristen and Rachel following, turning every corner with a quick pace, eventually reaching another room that thankfully wasn't blocked off. "My brother and I found a hatch in here a while back, but it was locked." Faith explained as they entered the room, "We tried looking around for a key but couldn't find it until now." They stepped inside and saw before them their had been a hatch on the ground.

"This is the only place we weren't able to look." Faith told them.

"The controls could be in there." Rachel said.

"Either way, it's worth looking into." Kristen said, kneeling down, "Hand me the key."

Faith obliged as she gave the key to Kristen; she put the key in the keyhole provided on the hatch before giving it a turn. The hatch gave a click, and Kristen proceeded to pull it open. "You two wait here." Kristen told them as she climbed down with the ladder that had been provided, "I'll be back in a bit. If you see or hear anything, stomp your foot twice."

"You got it." Faith said.

"Be careful." Rachel told her.

Kristen gave a pat on her head to reassure her before she descended down the ladder. She reached the bottom, her foot touching the floor as she found herself in a small room. "Thank God this place is lit up." Kristen said relieved noticing that the single light above her head, "Don't know if I would be able to survive in the dark."

She couldn't help but shiever a little at the thought. She saw in front of her was a set of switches. She that above had been labeled "Elevator Passage Gate".

"Good, this will open that door."

With a push of a button she heard a click sound somewhere echo throughout the place. "Well that did something."

She proceeded back up the ladder just as she heard one of them stomp their foot twice. She managed to climb back up and she saw the two of them looking uneasy. "What's the matter?" She asked.

"We thought we heard something in the vents!" Rachel replied.

"It might be him again!" Faith said.

Kristen got herself out of the hatch before closing it shut, "If that's the case than let's make a break for it!" She told them, "I got the doors open, so we'll be able to get to the elevator!"

The two of them nodded before they made their way out of the room, towards the door. Kristen opened the door first, as she peeked out, looking around. She opened the door a bit wider before stepping out. "Looks like we're in the clear." She said motioning them to follow, "Stay close to me."

"Okay than." Rachel said as she went to Kristen's side.

"We should hurry." Faith added, "Who knows if he's-"

" **PEEK-A-BOO! I FOUND YOU!** "

The three of them jumped when someone landed behind them the moment they were away from the door. Their fear rose as they had realized that it had been the killer, scythe in all. They backed up when he stepped towards them, after he locked the door.

"Should've thought of that before!" He said hitting himself on the head before turning to the three of them, "No head start this time… **I WON'T GIVE ANY OF YOU ONE SECOND!** "

As he came at them swinging his scythe, Kristen pushed Rachel and Faith out of the way, before jumping out of the way herself. The killer turned over to Rachel and Faith, giving out a laugh as went over to them, ready to kill them where they stood. At least, it wouldn't have been that way, were it not for a couple of gunshots that rang through their ears.

He turned over to Kristen as he saw that she had been the one who fired the shots. "You really do have some balls don't ya, you red eye bitch?" He said as he gave a harsh glare. The Killer turned over to her and made his way towards her, "... Even though you're scared shitless, you really want to fight me…" His face soon turned back into a smile as he laughed, "... **THAT MAKES ME WANT TO CUT YOU UP EVEN MORE!** "

He came at her at full speed causing Kristen to move again, when he swung his scythe. " **KRISTEN!** " Rachel exclaimed out of fear and worry.

" **WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!** " She yelled to Rachel and Faith before she dodged another swing from his blade, " **GET TO THE ELEVATOR NOW!** "

"R-Right!" Faith said as she took Rachel's hand before she could protest, "Come on, we gotta to go!" Thus she and Rachel started to run through the path towards the elevator. "Damn it!" The killer cursed, "I'll have to deal with them later but for now…" He charged at Kristen again, "... **I'LL SETTLE FOR YOU, RED EYE BITCH!** "

Kristen fired at him again, though he managed to dodge a bullet before he successfully knocked the gun out of her hand, with the other end of scythe. "Shit!" She exclaimed before ducked from his blade. She tried to grab for the gun again, though he stopped her in her tracks.

"Like I'm gonna let you try that again!" He said before laughing as he went to swing his scythe, she quickly broke out the knife she from her holster before blocking him; His blade nearly touched her face. She kicked him back a few feet before holding the knife towards him as she stood ready, though her stance looked sloppy as did the way she held the knife in her hand.

The killer couldn't help but laugh mockingly at this, "You're really fucked if you think you'll beat me like that!"

"Shut up you creep!" Kristen yelled before she charged with her the combat blade in hand. She attempted to hit him in the shoulder with the knife but he was quick to act. He hit right in the with the base of the scythe in the face nearly breaking her nose as she fell to the floor hard, making her groan in agony. He kicked the knife out of her hand before putting a hand on her arm pinning her.

She struggled underneath him to try to get free but he just pressed his foot against her harder, she even tried to move his foot with her free hand but it had been to no avail.

"The way you fight for your life really gets my blood pumping, you red eyed bitch!" The Killer said amused, " **NOW LET ME HEAR YOU CRY OUT IN DESPAIR!** "

The Killer took his scythe and swung it hitting her hand making her scream at the intense pain she felt when her open palm had been cut open suddenly. The Killer laughed loudly at the way Kristen reacted. " **THAT'S IT! THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU RED EYE BITCH!** " He shouted as he removed the scythe out of her hand, " **I WANT TO HEAR IT AGAIN!** "

He swung his scythe, this time, it went through her upper arm, making her cry even louder; tears leaked from here eyes as she couldn't take the pain she felt from her newfound wounds. The Killer laughed even louder at this when he saw her cry, "Your face is perfect right now!" He said kneeling down, just so he was hovering above, "I tell ya, out of all the people I killed, your face is the best one by far!"

Kristen couldn't utter words as she had been on the verge of hyperventilating again, as she didn't have anyway of reaching any of the weapons she had been provided beforehand. Despite this she still tried to move from underneath him as this time she went to get blade out of her, not caring if she gave herself cuts.

"You're still fighting to live huh?" The Killer said twisting the blade ever so slightly making cry out again as more tears rolled down her cheeks, "That's good. Keep that up so that I can cut you up!"

He removed the scythe from her arm making her cry out from the pain when the blade was removed. " _Shit! Fuck! This is bad!_ " Kristen exclaimed in her thoughts, " _I can't die here! I can't let him kill me!_ "

"I'm going to enjoy this red eyes!" He said, "Now give me some more despair!"

Kristen did the only thing she could, she ended up kicking him in the leg making him stumble before she headbutted him, making him fall back and giving her time to stand up.

"Ah, fuck!" The killer said as he groaned, giving another look of rage to Kristen just as she picked up the knife, "You little-"

He went at her again once more swinging his scythe, this time she nearly dodged his attack and he managed to graze the side of her head. She quickly went under him, before running to get her gun and making a break for it; But not before firing a couple of rounds at his feet to give herself a head start.

" **ENOUGH WITH THE FUCKING GUN ALREADY!** " The killer yelled as he had been annoyed by this as he started to run after her. She ran as fast as she could as often slipping on herself as made a hard turn on a corner; everytime she turned she found herself ducking from his blade at one point he managed to cut only part of her hair.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" She exclaimed as she ran from the Killer, "Where's the elevator!? I was sure it was around here!"

She soon got her answer when she heard a familiar voice yell, " **KRISTEN!** "

Kristen turned down the hall and saw a familiar girl with golden hair wave over to her, " **THIS WAY!** "

Despite her being surprised to see Rachel there she had no hesitation to run towards her, quickly following her down the corners and path as the Killer had been hot on their tail. The Killer's laugh echoed through as they managed to find themselves back at the door leading to the elevator as they ran inside and ran towards the exit of the room.

" **GUYS COME ON!** " Faith shouted waving them over.

Kristen and Rachel ran into the elevator, with Kristen herself accidentally tripping and falling over, nearly landing face first onto the floor. As soon as Rachel and Kristen were safe inside the elevator, she went to press the button just as the sounds of laughter came closer.

"Come on! Hurry! Hurry!" Faith exclaimed as she rapidly pressed the button that had been provided.

The Killer suddenly appeared in their sights making all of them back up into the elevator. With a screech of laughter he went to take them out with one swing.

 **BANG!**

The doors of the elevator soon closed shut, making them jump when they saw dents appear, and at the loud sound just as the elevator began to move. Faith and Rachel fell on their knees while Kristen couldn't help but roll over on her back as they all caught their breath.

"Oh my God…" Faith said, "... A few more seconds and we would've been diced…"

"At least we're safe now…" Rachel said relieved as she managed to calm down a little.

She soon turned over to Kristen and went to her side, immediately noticing the wounds on her arm, hand and head. "You're hurt!" She said.

"Yeah… He got me good back there but I'll be alright…" She said as she groaned at the pain she felt, "... Doesn't help that it stings like a splinter though…"

Faith soon went and examined the wounds she had, "That isn't good. If you leave them open like that, it's bound to get it infected."

"I don't suppose either of you know how to clean up a wound." She soon asked as she sat herself up. They both shook their head, and she slumped over a little, "Of course…"

"Oh, but I do know how to sew up a wound." Rachel soon said, earning a questioning look from Kristen and Faith.

"You're a thirteen year old girl, and I'm assuming that you're still in middle school or something and yet you know how to sew up a wound like a professional doctor?" Kristen said surprised earning a nod from Rachel; she soon mumbled to herself, "What the fuck are they teaching kids these days?"

"Wait a minute." Faith said before asking Rachel curiously, "Does that mean your parents are doctors and one of them taught you? Or did you learn from watching them?"

Rachel suddenly looked uneasy as her hand shook a little, and her expression changed "That's-"

They were soon cut off when they heard the elevator stop again, making all of them jump at the sudden halt. The doors soon opened up and their eyes laid upon what looked to be the inside of a hospital.

( _ **Ending Theme: Angels of Death Ending-Pray Performed By Haruka Chisuga**_ )


	3. Chapter 3: The Doctor On B5

( _ **Opening Theme: Shiki Opening 1-Kiss Performed By BUCK-TICK**_ )

The three of them stepped out of the elevator as they looked at the area that surrounded them this time around. Though it looked like hospital they couldn't help find something odd about it as no one had been around, and the hallways were only lit by the lights that were lit dimly. Each of them had their guard up as they were still shaken up by the killer at the floor below.

"... Well, this isn't creepy at all…" Kristen said as she groaned a little from the pain.

"This looks like a lobby of a hospital but…" Faith said, "... But where's everyone else… And the staff?"

Rachel looked around and noticed that the area had been familiar to her, "This is…" Rachel started to say, causing the two of them to look to her, "... This is the hospital I was in… For counseling."

"What?" The both of them said.

Just than they heard the sound of footsteps coming from the end of the hall, which made them all freeze. Whoever it had been made their way towards them.

"Who's that?" Rachel said as her body shook a little.

"Oh God!" Faith said fearfully, "Is it another killer!?"

"Time to make tracks!" Kristen said as she grabbed Rachel's hand before they started to move, running down the first hall they had seen. The person had come closer and closer to them, but each of them had been exhausted from running on the previous floor as their pace had seemed to have slowed down.

Kristen came to a halt when someone took Rachel's hand making her gasp as she tightened her grip on Kristen's hand. At this, she quickly drew her gun and pointed it at the persons head.

"Whoa, easy now!" The person said calmly as he raised his hands letting go of Rachel's hand, "I mean you no harm."

The three of them were taken back by the voice seeing as how whoever this person had been had sounded friendly. They soon saw the man's appearance; He had olive green hair that had been parted in the middle. They saw that his eye was in a amber color while his right eye beared no reflection; over his eyes he had on a pair of brand new glasses. They saw he wore brown suit and a blue collared shirt, with striped tie and over his outfit he had a large white coat.

Kristen looked over his appearance before she stated, "... You're a doctor."

"Yes I am." The man replied as he held a smile, "I'm not going to hurt you."

"I really doubt that." Kristen said as she switched off the safety.

"Kristen wait!" Faith said grabbing her arm, "You can't kill a doctor! That's like the one thing you shouldn't do!"

"If killers in this place can kill people than why can't I!?"

"That's because you're not a killer!"

The Doctor let out a sigh as he soon said, "Look, I'm your friend and I can prove it." He soon turned to Rachel, "Rachel… It's me, Doctor Danny. I'm the one you're here to see for counseling. Remember?"

Rachel looked to the man named Danny curiously. "Doctor… Danny…?" She said before grasping her head when it felt a bit fuzzy. Her eyes widened slightly from realization, "That's right… I came to the hospital to see him." She said to the two of them.

"Him?" Faith asked, "He's the one you're seeing?"

"Are you sure kiddo?" Kristen asked her. Rachel nodded her head in reply even though she looked a bit unsure herself. Kristen put the gun away in it's holster after she put the safety back on, allowing Danny to breath a sigh of relief. Danny soon noticed the wounds Kristen on her hand, arm and head. "Goodness you're hurt." He said as he still smile though his eyes had concern written in them, "Not to mention you all look shaken up."

Kristen couldn't help but look to Danny holding a glare to him. Though Faith and Rachel didn't seem to notice as Faith had replied, "Ye-yeah. We were just attacked by a murderer. We managed to get away from him somehow"

"A murderer you say?" Danny said curiously.

"She's been hurt really bad. Please, you can help her can't you?" Rachel said, as she put her hands together.

"Of course I can. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine." Danny said before wiping off the blood off of Rachel's face, "I found some medicine earlier. I'd be happy to treat your friends wounds."

"But… What about the murderer?" Faith asked, Danny.

"Oh you shouldn't worry about that." Danny reassured her, "He's not going to follow you up here." He soon ushered them, "Now please follow me." Though Faith, and Rachel followed Danny without question, Kristen couldn't help but eye him suspiciously as she soon followed their lead.

They soon stopped at one of the vacant rooms, with a single examination table and a desk which had been standard. Kristen sat at one of the beds while Danny went to work on treating Kristens wounds; he cleaned up the blood, applied the necessary alcohol and stitched the wounds on her hand and arm, before he applied the necessary bandages. "There we are." He said, "All fixed up."

"Thanks I guess." Kristen said before she put her hoodie back on, having taken it off earlier; though she rolled up the sleeve on her arm that had been bandaged.

"Like I said before, any friend of Rachel's is a friend of mine." Danny said, "I'm happy to help."

"So… She'll be okay than Dr. Danny?" Faith asked, "There's no risk of getting the infected right?"

"Yes, it should be fine." Danny replied, "So long as she doesn't do anything to aggravate them." He looked to Rachel before he said, "I'm glad to see you're alright Rachel. I'd hate to think what would've happened to you."

"I would've been dead if it hadn't been Kristen and Faith." Rachel said.

"I'm relieved to hear that." Danny said.

"Just out of curiosity…" Kristen started to say getting Danny's attention, "... If you know about the crazy psychopathic murderer, than why haven't you tried to make efforts to run?"

"Well, I couldn't since my patient is here after all." He reasoned, "I knew she would make here, though I honestly didn't expect her to find you two."

"She didn't find me..." She said, "... I found her. I told her I'd help her get out of here."

"And they just happened to find something of mine, while I was hiding on the previous floor." Faith explained.

"I see." The Doctor said as he turned his gaze away from them for a moment.

"Hey wait a minute, you were waiting for Rachel to come up here?" Kristen soon asked as she had been bothered by what he had said earlier, "How the hell did you know she was going to-"

"Anyway..." He said immediately cutting her off, "... Now that you're wounds have been treated, we should look for a way up to the next floor."

The three of them looked to one another as they looked back to Danny just as he said, "Come now, there's no time to waste." They followed Danny out of the room and down the hall that had been provided, though Kristen kept her distance from him. She couldn't help but be disturbed by the smile he wore on his face. She could almost swear that he seemed too happy to see Rachel; that and he seemed too friendly by her standards. Kristen didn't know why but she could of sworn that she had seen it all before and it just made her arose her suspicion even further.

Her body shook a little as she restrained herself from reaching for her weapon.

" _This guy is giving me the creeps…_ " She thought in her head, " _... His smile… Just doesn't seem right. Even so I don't want to have to jump to anything. Please… For the love of God, let me be wrong._ "

* * *

- _ **Floor**_ _**B6**_ -

The killer walked through his floor as he couldn't help but be a bit pissed that he let not one but three people get away from him. Normally when people managed to make it off this floor he wouldn't let it bother him as much as it did, but something about had been different this time around. He couldn't place his finger on it but it really bothered him to the core; he clicked his tongue as he rubbed his eyes.

"Fucking damn it…" He cursed to himself, "... If it weren't for the red eye bitch I would've cut them right where they stood…Although…"

He thought back to the girl that tried to fight back, the one with the red eyes; As he replayed the image in his head, he couldn't but be entranced by her. "... Despite how sloppy she held that knife, she was pretty badass I'll give her that… _**Why does she remind me of someone?**_ " He gritted his teeth as he let out a growl as he felt his head was a bit fuzzy, "Why the fuck am I even thinking that more importantly?!"

He soon stopped in his track when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye when he had passed the patch of dirt that had been provided on his floor. He saw something freshly buried, though it had only been partly. He used his scythe to slice down the wooden wall, before he made his way over to what had been buried, kicking away the dirt that had been on top of whatever it had been.

He saw it had been a little white bird, that he swore he had sliced in two when he had encountered the small group but he noticed something strikingly different about the little bird.

 _ **It's body had been stitched back together.**_

The killer couldn't help but smile as he looked on to the path where the elevator had been.

* * *

- _ **Floor B5**_ -

"You have gotta be kidding me with this crap…"

The now group of four had found the way to where the elevator that would take them to the next floor had been though it had been blocked by what had looked to be a wall of glass. "Uh… Did we just screwed or something?" Faith asked as she felt the glass with the palm of her hand.

"Yeah, we got screwed!" Kristen said before turning to Danny, "I blame you for this Doctor! You knew this was here the whole time didn't you!?"

"Why assign me the blame? I had nothing to do this." Danny said to her calmly.

"Can't you break it with your gun?" Rachel asked Kristen.

"Oh yeah that's right…" Kristen said before she removed the gun from the holster, "... That can work!"

"I wouldn't try it." Faith said to her just before she could pull the trigger, "You wouldn't break it in one shot I'm afraid."

Kristen looked to her confused, before Faith gave her explanation, "The glass looks thick and it's most likely bullet proof. You'd only graze it with one bullet."

"What!?" Kristen exclaimed before she mumbled to herself so that Rachel wouldn't hear, "God fucking damn it…"

"How are we supposed to-" Rachel said before she had been cut off by Danny.

"Well, it seems like the four of us are stuck together than." Danny said. Rachel couldn't help but back up a little, while Faith froze by his words and Kristen held her look in the Doctors direction.

Danny noticed this as he said, "Oh, I'm sorry. It's alright, you three don't have to be scared." He placed a hand on Rachel's shoulder, and while Faith had no reaction Kristen couldn't help but be bothered by this.

"Don't worry, if we just take this slow something good might happen." Danny reasoned with them, "It might happen to all of us if we're lucky."

"I hope you're not suggesting that the glass would just magically disappear right?" Faith asked.

Danny laughed at this, "Well maybe not like that." He soon pointed to a room that had been nearby, "For now, why don't we look in there? There might be something we can use." The three of them chose not to make an argument as they proceeded into a room filled beds that had all been in a row, with a single vase of flowers.

As they looked around Rachel and Faith noticed that Kristen had been eyeing Danny still with a suspicious look.

"What's wrong?" Rachel soon asked, "You've been staring at Dr. Danny since we got to this floor."

"Is it because you don't like doctors all that much?" Faith asked curiously.

"It's not that. It's the way he's been acting this whole time." Kristen told them keeping her voice low, "For a guy that's trapped in this building full of crazy people he seems unusual calm about the whole thing."

"Well he is a doctor." Faith said to her, "They're supposed to be calm and panic others."

"That's for when they're treating you after a catastrophe." She said, "... But when they're in one themselves they tend to act differently." She noticed the confused looks that they gave her, before Kristen had added, "It just doesn't seem right that he's acting weirdly normal through all of the this. Not to mention that smile of his is creeping me out, and..."

She looked over to Rachel, "... The way he's been eyeing you is really pissing me off."

Rachel looked to Danny as she had a worried look on her face, "Now that you mention it…" She started to say, "... There is something unsettling about how he's acting."

"Well we can agree on something." She said.

Faith glanced over to Danny as he still had his back turned to them before she looked back to her and Rachel, "You don't think he's one of the people that's supposed to kill us do you?"

"... To tell you the truth, I don't know…" Kristen replied, "... For now… We have to find a way to get to that elevator without letting him know."

"How?" Rachel asked, "The glass is too thick."

"And even if we do find something to break it with, it'll make too much noise." Faith soon added.

Before Kristen could reply they heard Danny call them over, "I found something written on the wall here."

The three of them looked to one another before they made their way over to where he had been; As he said they saw something written on the wall. " _This handwriting…_ " Kristen said in her thoughts as she examined the writing, "... _It's the same one Rachel and I saw on B7…That can't be a coincidence…_ "

Faith adjusted her glass slightly, before she started to read the text, " _Do you know, what you really want? Desire, do you know what it is? There is no reason to fight against it, if it is your true desire. There is no reason you to be here too. But remember don't break the rules. For each wish… There is a price: That's the rule?_ "

"Rules?" Rachel said, "What does it mean by rules?"

Kristen soon turned over to Danny, "What's your opinion on this Danny?"

Danny scratched under his chin before he gave his reply, "This place must have some set of rules, that is including for the residents in the building."

" _Is that so…?_ " Kristen couldn't help but think in her head as she raised an eyebrow.

"Than… What does the writing mean by desire?" Faith soon asked.

"I suppose that's different for everyone." He said, "Mine… _**Would be to have the perfect eyes**_."

The three of them gave a look of confusion to Danny as they couldn't help but feel unsettled by it. "Well that's not creepy at all." Faith said as she shuddered a little.

"No, you misunderstood me." He said, "One my eyes doesn't work well. And it hasn't since I was a child." Danny looked over to Rachel as she couldn't help but shrink at his gaze, "... If only… I had perfect eyes… _**Like Rachel's**_. How wonderful that would be."

Kristen shuddered again at this, " _I don't know who's more disturbing. That killer on the previous floor or this guy._ "

Rachel soon noticed another set of writing underneath the paragraph. It didn't look to be the same however as it the handwriting itself had been different and it looked as though it was written in a hurry.

"There's something else he-"

Rachel's sentence had been cut off once more as Danny suddenly grabbed a hold of her wrist a bit too tightly, just as she went to inspect it, as it had startled her. They noticed the look in his eyes as he soon said in a somewhat aggressive tone, "Don't do that. You'll get dust in your eyes. You need to take good of them. They're so beautiful after all."

Kristen quickly pulled his hand away from hers before she said in a harsh tone, "I'd appreciate it if you didn't scare the lady like that."

Danny looked into Kristen's eyes as it widened a bit when he finally noticed the color of it from the reflection of the light. He soon pried his hand away from her own, before he gave a suggestion, "Why don't we try to look into another room? Perhaps there could be something useful."

"Wait a second, but we haven't even fou-" Faith started to say before he grabbed Rachel's hand again and started to lead her out of the room.

"Hey!" Kristen called out before going after Danny; Faith soon followed behind them. Though he walked at a fast pace with Rachel in hand, Kristen and Faith maintained their distance despite the fact that they were beyond exhausted from running on B6.

" _He's just making himself suspicious at this point. Does that mean he's getting desperate?_ " Kristen thought to herself, " _I can't leave that kid alone with him. I have to keep her with me._ "

Eventually they saw them stop at room where the door had been opened. They looked in a room and saw a single examination table with a light hovering over it.

"An operating room?" Faith wondered aloud.

"I don't understand…" Rachel said with her voice shaking a little, "Why did you bring us here?"

"Rachel…" Danny said reaching out to her eyes from behind, "... Would you give me a good look at those eyes for you?" Kristen immediately took Rachel's hand and pulled her to her, putting her arms around her protectively, as Rachel couldn't help but grasp Kristen when her body shook.

"They truly are beautiful!" Danny started to say, "Just like my mother's. And yet your terrified expression makes them look like normal eyes. That makes me sad. _**I want to see your truly beautiful eyes.**_ " Danny went to approach Rachel but Kristen put Rachel behind her, while Faith couldn't help but be disturbed by the way he acted.

Kristen held her glare as Danny continued on, "If I can wake up from his nightmare, maybe that beautiful silence, just like the blue moon will return to your eyes."

" _What fuck is up with this doctor?!_ " Kristen exclaimed in her thoughts, " _Does he have a screw loose in his head!?_ "

He went to reach out for Rachel again, causing Kristen to tighten her grip on Rachel, " _ **I want to live my next life through those eyes.**_ "

Rachel buried her face into Kristen's back as she let out a fearful whimper. "Doctor please! Your scaring her!" Faith said to him as he had gotten closer.

"Back off!" Kristen said as she gave him a good hard shove on the shoulder making him stumble, "Don't even think about touching her!"

Danny looked to Kristen in disgust though it hadn't been long before his smile came back to him, making the three of them shudder. "Ah, I almost forgot." He said, "I left something very important around here. Will you help me look for it?"

The three of them looked to each other before they turned back to Danny. "Depends on what it is you want." Kristen said to him.

"I already told you what it was." Danny replied before he suggested, "I'll search this room, you two can look in one of the other rooms, while Rachel can search in the back."

Kristen kept Rachel close to her holding her look, "If it's all the same to you, Doctor, I'll stick with her." Danny's eyes changed slightly, though he still kept his smile, "Very well than."

"... So…" Faith said, standing nervously, "... What do you want us to look for?"

"Don't worry I'll give you a hint." Danny replied before saying, " _ **My eyes… Is alexandrite**_."

"Alexandrite?" Kristen said tilting her head a little.

"You'll know when you see it." He said, "Just be careful back there… The lights don't work so it's dark. You won't be able to see much."

Rachel noticed that Kristen looked a bit uneasy, as she started to sweat a little. Rachel took her hand to comfort her as she started to get her composure back a little. She motioned her to wait before she walked over to Faith.

"See if you can find something to break the glass." She whispered keeping her voice low, "Contact us on the walkie when you do."

Faith gulped a little before she nodded, "Got it."

Thus the three of them split up, with Faith exiting the room, and Kristen and Rachel going to the back. She kept her hand on the child's as it started to shake slightly the moment they entered the dark room. Rachel tightened her hand ever so slightly as to reassure her, as she soon took a deep breath. They both stepped further into the room allowing their eyes to adjust as they saw shelves, while Kristen did her best to keep her cool, and not freak out.

"Kristen?" Rachel soon said, getting her attention, "... Are you by chance afraid of the dark?"

Kristen gulped but replied hesitantly, "... It's that obvious huh?"

Rachel nodded slightly to her and Kristen laughed to herself a bit. "I had a really bad experience the darkness when I was a kid." She said as she started to look around noticing that their had been a couple of shelves.

"A bad experience?" She asked with a bit of worry, "What do you mean?"

Kristen groaned a little as she felt her head get a little fuzzy. Images seemed to have passed by in her head; the only she could tell was she was being thrown somewhere after she had been dragged. Her vision seemed to have blurred with tears as darkness soon surrounded her. She shook her head a little to get rid of the image in her head before turning back to the girl.

"It's a bit personal, sorry." She told her, "Maybe I'll tell more about later when I'm ready."

" _Or if I remember at least._ " Kristen told herself in her thoughts.

Rachel's expression had still been written with concern but she nodded her head to her in understanding as she didn't want to have to pry though she felt a bit compelled. "But… Are you okay now?" The child soon asked still concerned, "Being here in the dark?"

"Not necessarily." Kristen replied honestly, "But I feel a little better since you're here with me."

"... That's good." She said with a small smile.

They continued to look around the room, looking through the various shelves while trying to figure out what Danny's hint meant. Rachel still stayed close to her as to give her comfort while Kristen tried to feel around on the upper shelves.

"You know something kiddo?" Kristen said as she felt whatever had been on the upper shelves, "For someone your age, your pretty brave to deal with this kind of situation."

Rachel tilted her head curiously at this, "You… You really think so?"

Kristen removed herself from the shelves as she turned to her, "Back on B6, even though I told you to run to the elevator, you actually turned around to come back for me when I got myself lost. I thought for sure you and Faith would abandon me and come up to this floor by yourselves."

"... You would've died if we left you behind." Rachel reasoned, "Faith wanted to go on ahead, but… I didn't want to leave you."

"And that's what I'm talking about." She said with a smile, "Even though you don't know me, you risked your own safety to come back for me. For that I'm grateful to you, and I owe you one now."

"Owe me?"

"That's what people do when they help another right? They return favors. I know we don't really know each other but… You can rely on me. I'll do you the favor by getting you out of here."

Rachel couldn't help but give a small smile as she gave her reply, "Even though we're strangers… I'll trust you."

Kristen couldn't help but smile back at her, "You gotta admit, this will be one hell of a story to tell your folks over dinner; maybe leave out the dying part out though." She looked around the room again, "Anyway… That doctor guy said he left something important here right? I'm forgetting what was it again?"

"He said something about his eyes being of alexandrite." Rachel replied as they went deeper into the room, noticing a couple of more of empty jars within.

"Talk about being vague." Kristen couldn't help but say as she rolled her eyes, "How are we supposed to-"

She had been cut off when Rachel let out a small scream. She didn't know why at first before she let out a scream of her own at what she saw before her. Most of the jars were all filled with what looked to be a pair of eyeballs; each one containing a different color. They were all floating in some kind of a liquid and it felt as though they were watching them.

"Wh-Wha-What?" Kristen stammered, "-What the-? What is all this-?"

Rachel's body shook as she looked at all the jars, as she examined them closely, "Are they-False eyes?"

"Rachel?"

The two of them jumped when they heard Danny's voice just behind them; out of instinct, Kristen put her behind her while Rachel looked to him fearfully.

"You still don't remember?" He asked, as he approached them causing them to backup, "Try to remember the time you and I met outside of the hospital."

"But I-" Rachel said as her voice quivered, "-I don't remember ever meeting you outside of here."

It hadn't been long before they both hit the table just behind them, nearly knocking over a jaw of eyes just behind them. Danny's expression brightened, "Oh! That's it! You found it for me!" The two of them looked to the jar behind them; noticing that the false inside was of green and red.

"You mean to tell me these false eyes are yours?" Kristen asked.

"Doesn't it make you remember anything Rachel?" Danny said ignoring Kristen completely. Rachel gripped onto Kristen as she shook her head vigorously; Danny's expression changed slightly though his smile still stayed. "It seems like your still dreaming Rachel." He said.

"The hell does that mean?!" Kristen couldn't help but exclaim.

"That's not important." Danny replied before pointing to the jar behind them, "Would you let me have that? It's necessary for all of us, wouldn't you agree!?"

"O-Okay." Rachel soon said hesitantly.

Before Kristen could protest, Rachel took the jar that had just been behind them before she handed them over to Danny; His hands going over hers, making Rachel feeling uneasy and Kristen gave a look to kill to him.

"I'm going to put them on now okay…?" He said in an unsettling tone of voice, "... Would you mind terribly waiting in the other room for me."

Kristen noticed the look in his eyes as he said his next set of words. "If you try to run away… _**You'll regret it**_." He said.

Kristen quickly took Rachel's hand and they headed back towards the operating room, quickly shutting the door behind them before anyone else could say anything. "… Are you okay?" Kristen asked.

Rachel didn't reply, instead she hugged her, as to calm herself while her body shivered; Kristen hugged back as to comfort her. "I think you're right about him…" Rachel soon said, her voice a little muffled, "... Something about this… About him feels wrong…He's not the doctor I know…!"

Her grip tightened a little and Kristen proceeded to gently shush her as to prevent her from crying. "I don't want to be here anymore…!" Rachel said.

"Don't worry, we'll get away from him." She said to the child, "Let's go meet up with Faith, before he comes back, okay?"

Rachel nodded her head before they proceeded towards the door. Kristen went to grab the knob to open the door; though she soon found that it had been locked.

"Shit…" She mumbled before telling Rachel, "... We're locked in."

"No way!" Rachel had said worryingly.

" _That doctor guy..._ " Kristen soon thought to herself, " _Don't tell me he locked the door._ "

They soon heard the walkie in Rachel's bag go off; at this she quickly took it out. " _Guys, can you hear me?_ " They soon heard Faith say.

"We hear you." Rachel replied.

"Did you find anything to break the glass?" Kristen asked.

" _I'm afraid not._ " Faith replied, " _I've searched every room on this floor, and I can't find anything strong enough. It would take a miracle at this point._ "

"Keep looking there has to be something around this floor." Kristen said.

Faith at the other end of the line noticed the panic in her voice, " _Why? What's happened?_ "

"Doctor Danny locked us in the operating room with him in here!" Kristen said, "I get the feeling he's got something in mind for us, or rather…" For a moment, Kristen glanced over to Rachel who still had a fearful expression on her face. She picked up her sentence back up, "Anyway, we're gonna try to find a way to open the door on our end. Find us anything we can use to break the glass and we'll meet you there!"

" _I'll try my best!_ " Faith said, " _Please be careful._ "

"Good luck." Kristen said before disconnecting the walkie.

Kristen and Rachel soon started to think as to how they were going to get the door open each of them had been deep in thought.

" _Think… Think… How can get the door to open?_ " Kristen thought to herself. She looked to the gun on her holster, " _I could probably shoot the lock to break it._ " She immediately shook her head, " _No… That wouldn't work. It'll be too loud. Kicking it down is not an option either…_ "

She soon looked to the messenger bag that Rachel had before looking to the door.

" _Earlier she said she knew how to sew up a wound… That must mean she has a needle at least. But it might take too long depending on the locks mechanism. We need a quicker way to get this door open._ "

She turned to Rachel but soon noticed that left her side. "Huh? Rachel?" Kristen said with a bit of confusion.

She saw her pick something up, before running back to her. In her hands, she had a crowbar that was bit rusted over. "Do you think this will work?"

"Yes! That's perfect!" Kristen said in a hushed tone of voice taking the crowbar from her gently, "Nice thinking there kiddo!"

Kristen quickly went to work, she put the end of the crowbar in between the thin gap, before she started to push as hard as she could; she winced at the pain when she aggravated the wound on her hand and arm.

"Come on! Come on! Open, damn you!"

She winced again at the wounds underneath her bandages, making it more intense. Rachel saw this and quickly ran to her side and put her hands on the crowbar, before she started to push as hard as she could as well.

"We can do this!" Rachel said, "Just a little more!"

"Push harder kid!" Kristen told her.

They both nearly stumbled when they heard the door click open and it opened slightly. Their eyes brightened at this. "Yes!" Rachel cheered, "It opened!"

"Alright, let's go and-"

 _ **BAM!**_

Kristen froze up when she felt a blunt object hit the back of her head causing her vision to blur. The last thing she heard was Rachel crying out her name before she hit the ground hard.

( _ **Ending Theme: Angels of Death Ending-Pray Performed By Haruka Chisuga**_ )


	4. Chapter 4: Please

Faith continued to look around the rooms keeping a sharp eye out for anything they could use to break apart the glass, though she couldn't help but let an annoyed groan as she couldn't find anything of the sort. She even double checked rooms to be sure she didn't miss anything, though no matter how much she looked, she couldn't find anything of use for them.

She eventually found herself near the elevator where they first entered the floor.

"I searched all over, but I can't find anything strong enough to break that glass." She looked to what was supposed to be the waiting room that had been up ahead, "Than again, this is supposed to be a replica of a hospital, so I shouldn't be surprised."

She looked at the walkie that she kept in her skirt pocket, remember what Kristen had told her earlier.

"I wonder if those two are okay… I hope Danny hasn't found them out."

She clenched the walkie in her hand as she shook with worry.

"I've gotta get back to that room! They may need my help!"

Right when she was about to run back, she heard a peculiar sound. It had been coming from the elevator as she heard the sound of the gears turning.

"It's… Moving?!"

Faith found herself slowly walking back towards it, maintaining her distance.

"Another sacrifice…? No, that can't be right. There was no announcement made for the residents."

The doors soon opened revealing a light; her body froze and her face turned pale at the sight of a familiar shadow at which the lights had casted from within.

* * *

( _ **Opening Theme: Shiki Opening 1-Kiss Performed By BUCK-TICK**_ )

" _ **It's your fault they're dead, you're nothing but a curse.**_ "

" _ **If you want to be with them so badly, than go ahead and join them!**_ "

" _ **No! Please! Don't leave me here!**_ "

" _ **...Who… Are… You?**_ "

Kristen heard the sound of someone snapping their fingers right in her ear, making the ring in her head feel more intense; not to mention the pain in the back of her head wasn't helping one bit. Her vision became clear and she found herself still within the operating room, as she appeared to be sitting on the floor.

"Wakey, wakey~"

Her eyes widened when she found herself staring face to face with Danny, this time his smile looking more disturbing than before. She jumped and backed up at the wall, only to find that her hands were tied behind her back as well as her ankles with a set of bloodied ropes.

"The fuck!?" She exclaimed as she struggled against the restraints, "What is this!?"

She let out a gasp when she saw the operating table had been occupied at the moment. She saw it had been a familiar girl having a fearful look in her eyes; she looked to be on the verge of crying as she saw her trying to break out of the retraintants.

" **RACHEL**!" She yelled trying to move, before she gave a glare to the doctor, "You bastard-!"

Kristen had been taken back when she noticed that something had been drastically different from the doctor himself. His right side possed not one, but two eyes, one of green and red. "I thought I told you not to run away." He said to her, his tongue hanging from his mouth making her flinch, "You did this to yourself you know?"

Kristen let out a growl and gritted her teeth; even though she still had fear in her eyes, anger seemed to have taken over.

"You're not as dumb as you look." Danny said to her as he stood up, as she realized that he had her gun and knife in his hands, "I thought I could get you away from Rachel at least, but you're stubborn little bitch aren't you?"

"This stubborn bitch is gonna put you through hell if you don't untie me." She told him in a threatening tone of voice.

Danny merely laughed amusingly at this, as he put the weapons on a table nearby, "Oh, don't worry, I'll deal with you once I've finished my business with Rachel."

"Do-Doctor, please just let us go." Rachel had begged, her voice quivering slightly.

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Danny told her licking his lips, "This is _**MY**_ floor you see. If you were to run away with those two whores I wouldn't be able to do anything to you myself."

" **DON'T YOU DARE YOU PERVERTED PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A DOCTOR!** " Kristen shouted. She soon felt Danny kick her hard in the stomach, nearly making her throw up. "Kristen!" Rachel shouted as she saw her fall on her side.

Danny soon gave a disgusted look to her, "Your peepers don't interest me at all, Kristen is it? I have no interest in your ugly red eyes, so unless you want to die a slow death, than I suggest you stay quiet."

Kristen coughed a little before she groaned, "... Touch her and I'll make you suffer tenfold."

Kristen cried out in agony when he gave her another kick in the stomach, causing Rachel to cry out her name once more. "You're not in any kind of position to make such threats to me." Kristen was about to say another retort before she noticed something about the ropes tied behind her back. She felt that the knots had been tied poorly.

" _We'll see about that…_ " Is what she said in her head before she went to work getting the knots undone, without alerting Danny as he made his way back towards Rachel.

"Why!?" Rachel soon said fearfully, "Why are you doing this to us?!"

Danny gave a chuckle, "Like I said, I don't want her eyes, I want yours. Your peepers are by far one of the most beautiful I've seen out of everyones, and I want them all to myself." He hovered over her, "So… Won't you do me the honors of giving me your eyes?"

Rachel squirmed in the restraints as she shook her head vigorously; her body still trembled as she did her best to avoid his gaze.

"Ah, how you wound me so!" Danny said, as he had been overdramatic about the whole thing, "You've forgotten who you are and even who I am, didn't you?"

"If she says she doesn't know you, than she doesn't know you asshole!" Kristen yelled, "So quit it with your creepy little- **AGH!** " She had been cut off abruptly again when she felt herself get kicked again, this time in the leg.

"Stop it!" Rachel yelled, "Stop hurting her!"

Danny turned back to Rachel giving a chuckle, though little did he know Kristen had gotten the rope off of her wrist, and quickly went to work getting the ropes off of her; every so often when Danny turned back in her direction, she quickly put her hands behind her back and pretended they were still tied up.

"If you really don't remember, than perhaps a story will enlighten you…" Danny said to the terrified child.

" _Are you fucking kidding me with that crap?_ " Kristen couldn't help but say in her thoughts as she had been left unamused; after he turned his back she quickly went back to work, in getting the ropes off.

Danny soon started his so called tale of woe, "My mother you see… Whenever something bad happened to me, she would always blame it on my missing eye. My problem caused my parents to fight. Everyone around me saw me as a mistake to the world. They kept asking my mother 'Why did you give birth to something like him?' It was around this time… _**My mother felt sick**_."

Kristen's eyes widened slightly at this; for a moment she felt a ring in her head as an image passed her by. It appeared to be of a woman in her twenties though she couldn't tell her appearance since it had been blurred and her back had been turned to her. She shook the thought out of her head, as she started to get the ropes loose around her ankles while Danny pradled on.

"... It was all because of this missing eye of mine. I envied those who had been blessed with both of their eyes. I hated those who had both of their eyes. Before I knew it, all I could focus on were the eyes of others. If only I had a pair of eyes as well. Watching them I realized that not all eyes were the same. Some eyes were filled with warmth, some were filled with innocence and some were just plain and normal. I found that my mother's eyes reflecting of nothing but emptiness… _**They were the most beautiful of them all**_."

Kristen raised an eyebrow, though she couldn't help but shudder a little at his words. " _This guy… I was right to feel unsettled by this bastard._ " She saw that the ropes were finally undone though she kept her ankles together and her hands behind her back.

" _At least he's shitty when it comes to tying people up. I just gotta wait for an opportunity to make a grab for my weapons and get Rachel out…_ " She looked around the area, "... _Just stay calm and think… What's the quickest way I can do this?_ "

Danny continued on with his story, as he didn't noticed that Kristen had been currently untied.

"I wanted to stare into them forever. But just as I had started to think that way… My mother… _**Committed suicide.**_ I wouldn't be able to see her eyes again… But in despair when I looked at her eyes… Even though she had longed passed, her eyes were still beautiful as ever! It was then I wondered… Just before she died, how beautiful her eyes would have been? I wanted to see more of them! Eyes that were as beautiful my mothers had been. I knew if I were to become a psychologist, I'd be able to gather more people whose eyes were filled with despair, and that they were yearning for death!"

He soon hoovered over Rachel again, making her jump when his face had been close to hers, "And than I met you, Rachel! You're eyes! They were the most beautiful I have ever seen! Rachel! Won't you please go back to those beautiful eyes of yours!"

"Just stop this!" Rachel begged once more, "Let us go!"

Danny soon had a disappointed look on his face, as his look changed slightly. "You have _**REALLY**_ disappointed me Rachel." He said, "Your eyes… They're the same as that other patient I had."

"Other patient?" Rachel and Kristen said in unison as they were both confused.

Danny had clarified for them, "The words that were covered in dirt you found earlier, that had been left by another person who came to this floor." His expression once more to something that of a pleasant look which disturbed the two of them, "Her eyes were far too dull, so I got rid of them after killing her! While she was running, she wrote 'I'm going to be killed! I'm scared! I'm so scared! Just like before they're going to kill me! God help me! Please, please help me!'"

" _So there have been others before us, like Faith said._ " Kristen thought in her head, " _They must've been as terrified as we were…_ "

"I have a question for the two of you…" Danny soon said, getting their attention, "... Do either of you remember why you're in this place? Why all of this is happening to you…?"

"Does it really matter?" Kristen asked with a glare, "All we know is that psychos like you want to kill us!"

"That's not the point of it all!" Danny said, "It's so you can find yourselves again!" He placed a hand on Rachel's shoulder, making Kristen's stare harden, "... So Rachel… I've been looking for the perfect pair, for a long time… Live with me Rachel!"

"Like she'd live with your creepy ass!" Kristen said earning another glare from the doctor.

"Please Doctor Danny…" Rachel continued to beg, "Let us go! I just want to go home! I want to leave this place!"

"Home?" Danny said confused.

"Let the kid go doctor!" Kristen told him, "She has nothing to do with any of this! All she wants is to go home to her mom and dad!" Kristen noticed that Danny's smile grew even wider at this, he looked back to the poor girl. "Oh… Is that what your worried about?" He said. He started to laugh out loudly, taking the two of them back.

"What's so funny!?" Kristen yelled.

"Mom… Dad…" Rachel whimpered.

"... Don't worry Rachel…" He said, "You'll be able to see them again. After all they're waiting for- _ **IN HELL**_."

At this the whole room went silent; Kristen had been stunned, while something to snap in Rachel. She heard a ring in her head, as a couple of unclear images went through her head. The only thing that seemed to have stand out to her, was the blue moon high above the sky as her demeanor seemed to have changed completely.

"Now than Rachel your peepers…" Danny said, before he noticed the expression Rachel had been making. It took him back a bit, though but a brief moment, his expression had brightened, and his smile had been wide.

" **YES! THAT'S IT!** " He exclaimed, " **THERE'S THAT BEAUTIFUL LOOK! YOU LOOK ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! PLEASE LIVE WITH ME RACHEL! I'VE SO UNBEARABLY—** "

"You…"

This time Danny had been the one cut off, as he noticed Kristen had stood up, which had surprised him as he was sure he had tied her up.

" **YOU FUCKING BASTARD**!"

With her eyes filled with rage, she roughly pulled Danny away from the operating table before she threw him to the wall. Grabbing him by the neck of his shirt, and threw a series of punches despite the fact the hand she had been using to punch was the one that had been bandaged.

Her wound started to open, just as her punches had gotten stronger and roughly, causing his mouth and nose to bleed.

"Die!" Kristen found herself yelling as her fist collided with his cheek, "Die! **FUCKING DIE ALREADY!** "

Before she could throw one more she stopped herself when another image seemed to have passed her by. Though it had been blurred she found herself grabbing someone's hand, but she didn't know who's it had been as the image had been stained with red.

It was only than she realized that Danny hadn't been moving. She let go of him letting him slide to the ground, as she took deep breaths and processed what she had just did as she now looked to her bloodied hand.

"Did...I... I just…?"

She saw that her hand had been shaking, and as she had quickly grasped it as to stop it. She took a deep breath as she looked phased by what she had done. She soon turned her attention to Rachel who had no longer been fighting against the restraints; she had been lying their perfectly still which had concerned her.

"Ra… Rachel?" She said slowly approaching the operating table, "Are you—"

Suddenly she felt herself being pulled by the hair making her cry out. This had been from Danny as he had a wicked smile on his bruised and bloody face. He grabbed her by the neck of her shirt and she felt her back hit the cabinet just behind her. Launching his hands around her neck, he had started to strangle her laughing as he did this.

Kristen struggled to breath as she hit at his hands in an attempt to get him to let go.

" **AS IF I'D LET A WHORE LIKE YOU TAKE MY PRECIOUS RACHEL AWAY FROM ME**!" He yelled gleefully, " **NOT WHEN HER EYES ARE** _ **THIS**_ **BEAUTIFUL!** "

Kristen quickly grabbed his face in an attempt to push him off, though he retaliated by biting her thumb causing her to retract her hand. Losing breath fast, she tried to see if she could at least reach for her knife, though had been quick to realize it had been way out of her reach.

" **YOUR EYES WOULD NEVER DO AT ALL!** " Danny yelled hysterically as he still held his smile, " **IT HAS TO BE HER AND ONLY HER! YOUR EYES ARE NOT AS BEAUTIFUL! NOT AS STUNNING! IT HAS TO BE HER!** "

Kristen tried to kick at him, in the stomach at least, but found her energy leaving her gradually. Her vision started to become hazy as she felt her eyes start to roll in the back of her head. Though she tried and tried to hit at his hands, even that had started to weaken as she struggled to breath.

Danny's smile had been the widest it had ever been as he saw this happen. " **THAT'S IT! THAT'S IT!** " He cheered as his grip around her neck tightened, " **ONCE YOUR GONE I'LL GET RID OF YOUR DISGUSTING EYES, THAN RACHEL WILL HAVE NO CHOICE IN THE MATTER! SHE'LL STAY HERE! FOREVER WITH LITTLE OLD ME!** "

 _ **SLASH!**_

Kristen flinched when she felt something it her face, and strangle enough, the fingers around her neck started to loosen up. Her vision had still been a blur, but she could've sworn that her vision turned red, as the room became stained with it's color. Danny coughed up a bit of blood, as he had realized someone had been behind him.

He only had caught a glimpse of someone holding a curve like blade as whoever had been holding the weapon had his hands bandaged up.

"You… A...re…"

Danny had finally let go of Kristen as he had fallen on his side, as she fell to the ground, finally letting out horrific coughs. Though as she caught her breath, her ears had gotten that familiar laughter she had heard not too long ago. A black boot had soon stomped on top of the now corpse of Danny, as Kristen couldn't help but flinch at the sound heard upon impact.

"Hey, now Danny!" A familiar voice said, "Your voice sounded way too damn happy! I just couldn't resist cutting you up!"

Kristen eyes widened when she realized who it had been. It had been the Killer that resided on the floor below.

"You…" She gasped, "... You followed us here…?"

The Killer seemed to given a laugh out of amusement as he leaned over Kristen, "I thought that would've been obvious! I chased the three of you up here, and found the two of you in one hell of a spot! Strange that four eyes isn't with ya, but hey, I ran into you Red Eyes."

Kristen tried to get up, but found herself falling to the floor as she had been struggling to regain her bearings after what had just happened. The Killer soon spotted Rachel on the operating table and thought of a wicked idea.

"Oh... I think I'm gonna give you some payback." The Killer said Kristen as he pushed her roughly to the ground, "Why don't you sit there and wait, while I finish what I started?"

Her eyes widened at his words as he stood up, walking towards Rachel. Kristen struggled to pick herself up, but found herself falling again. All she could do was reach out to the Killer as he had already been out of reach.

"Don't… Hurt her…"

And just like that Kristen blacked out, just as he was at Rachel's side with his scythe in tow.

* * *

 _The heavens above weep over the plain grassy hills; turning the once dirt road into that of mud; lighting roared across the skies as it seemed to be the only light that illuminated a dark room, with the windows all boarded up. A child laid their on the cold hard floor, drenched from head to toe. Her head had been hurting and it felt like her body was eating itself from the inside. The child's vision was all fuzzy as she had struggled to keep her eyes open, as her breathing sounded hoarse._

 _She couldn't find energy to move as all she could do was turn her head occasionally as she struggled not to fall asleep as she had been afraid if she did, she wouldn't wake up. She didn't know exactly how long she had been in the dark room, though every second she had been, she felt like the darkness had been closing around her as she had been scared what could have been lurking in the shadows. She couldn't even cry anymore, as even her energy had depleted her of that as she heard odd sounds._

" _... Mo… Mommy… Da...Daddy… I want… To… Go… Home…"_

 _She heard something open, as her eyes shut at a sudden light. She heard the sound of footsteps approaching her, as she let out a groan._

 _She tried to see who it had been, but couldn't as her vision seemed to have worsened; she couldn't even tell if the person had been a boy or a girl._

" _Who… Are… You…?"_

 _Whoever it had been reached out to her just as the world around her began to change._

* * *

" _ **A resident on B6 has attacked a resident of Floor B5. As this violates the rules, the traitor has been selected as a sacrifice.**_ "

" _ **Kristen! Kristen! Wake up!**_ "

Kristen opened her eyes after she heard the sound of what appeared to be glass shattering and soon found a pair of green eyes staring down at her, her eyes written with worry. She sat up abruptly as she started to let out coughs, reaching for her neck in order to soothe it. Faith had sighed with relief, "Thank God, I thought for sure you were dead."

"How about that?" Kristen said with her voice sounding a little hoarse, "Where were you the whole time?"

"I was trying to find to break the glass like you said. I had gotten worried about you and I Rachel when I didn't hear back from you, so I was on my way back to come help you, but-" Faith explained before gulping a little, "-I saw the resident from B6, come out of the elevator. I panicked and found a place to hide when he started to look around. I followed him back here when he killed Danny. However after an announcement was made; he left the room and I found you unconscious."

Faith noticed the look in Kristen's eyes after she had finished explaining herself, "I'm sorry, that I didn't come back right away. But when I saw him-I didn't know what else to do. I was afraid he would kill me, if he found me. I just- _ **Froze up**_."

Kristen let out a sigh before giving her a pat on the head, "It's okay, I probably would've done the same thing if I was in your shoes."

Her eyes soon widened in realization as she remembered the last thing she saw before she blacked out. "Rachel!" She exclaimed, "Where's Rachel!? Is she okay!? Did he kill her!?"

Faith was quick to calm her down before she replied, "To be honest, when I saw him go into the room, I thought after he killed Danny, I thought he killed you and Rachel, but… _**He didn't**_. You, I guess he thought you were already dead, though Rachel, I'm not sure why he didn't take the chance. Not that I'm approving of him or anything but it was strange even for me. I got Rachel out of her restrainants but-"

Faith soon pointed over to the operating table, and Kristen saw Rachel just sitting their; the shadows of her bangs as she appeared to be staring at her feet that swung a little.

"She's been sitting there in silence for the past few minutes…" Faith told her.

Kristen stood up, before she looked to Danny's corpse, remembering his words from earlier. " _This is_ _ **MY**_ _floor._ " Is what she had remembered him saying. She only drew one conclusion at this.

"Faith, can you check Danny to see if he has the key to the elevator?" Kristen asked her, "I'll go check on Rachel."

"What makes you think he has the key?" Faith asked.

Kristen merely looked to Faith before she gave her reply, "... Call it a hunch." Though Faith had an unsure look in her eye, she nodded to her before she went to the corpse of Danny, as she started to search his pockets.

Kristen on the other hand stood up and went over to Rachel. The child didn't seem fazed when she placed her hand over hers. "Rachel?" Kristen said with a gentle voice, "Rachel, it's me."

Rachel picked up her head a little as she had finally spoke. "You're… Alive?"

Kristen nodded her head, "Yeah… I'm too stubborn to die. Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"

Rachel shook her head, giving Kristen relief to her; she couldn't help but give her a hug. "Thank goodness." Kristen said, "I'm glad you're still here, I'm glad you're still alive."

Rachel's expression didn't change as she didn't even return the hug Kristen had given her. She put her head against her shoulder, before she said something that Kristen nor Faith didn't expect.

"I'm sorry… But you're wrong..." The child said, "... _ **I shouldn't be alive**_."

Kristen had been taken back by this as she gently pushed herself out of the hug. Before she could ask, she noticed the look in her beautiful ocean eyes that she had been giving this whole time, as her red eyes widened slightly. Faith noticed this too as her expression had softened and she looked to her with solemn, as she stayed silent.

They were all brought out of their own thoughts when they heard loud banging just down the hall. A familiar voice had soon followed.

" **FUCKING OPEN DAMN IT!** "

"He's still here?" Kristen asked, before turning to Faith, "I thought you said he left."

"I said he left the room." Faith clarified, "I didn't say he left the floor. He broke the glass wall earlier and he's been over there trying to figure it out."

Kristen raised an eyebrow at this, "But why? Can't he just go back to his own floor?"

"That's the thing…" Faith said as she gave it thought, "... The announcement made earlier, called him a traitor, because he violated a rule. Now, he's a sacrifice like we are."

Kristen felt more confused by this as Rachel sat their once more in silence, though she had been curious about this as well. Faith put it altogether in her head as she finally came to a conclusion when she looked to Danny. "I wonder…" Faith said.

"What are you thinking there?" Kristen asked.

Faith soon replied, "Well… This is just a theory, but… The residents on each floor are allowed to kill those that come onto their territory however... _**I don't think, they're allowed to kill each other.**_ "

Kristen was put in shock by this as she couldn't help but think back to what happened mere moments ago. " _Does that mean, he killed him knowing that it would be the case?_ " She thought in her head.

Rachel soon jumped down from the table and walked down the hallway taking them by surprise, but they were quick to follow behind her after Kristen took her weapons from the table. They found that the glass had been broken which surprised Kristen as she didn't realize he had that much physical strength. They approached him from behind as they found him kicking at the door with all his might.

"Damn it!" They heard him say, "It's not opening after all. The fuck do I do now? I don't have a damn clue…"

The three of them stopped in their tracks, and he finally took notice of them as he turned to them. "Oh Red Eyes, your still alive? And the four eyes is here after all?" He said, "What are the three of you doing, just waltzing up like that?"

Faith couldn't help but hide behind Kristen, as Kristen herself said, "We just happened to be going this way in case you haven't noticed."

The Killer clicked his tongue at the tone she spoke; she flinched a little when she him hold the scythes blade to her neck.

"Don't you notice the freaking scythe in my hand?" He said with a glare of his own, "I can kill you right where you stand you know?"

Kristen soon pulled out her gun, shutting off the safety and pointing it towards his face, though he didn't seem phased by it. "I bet you can't even dodge a bullet at this close range." She said, "Ever stop to consider that?"

The Killer smiled at this, "Is that a challenge, Red Eyes?"

"Kristen, don't!" Faith exclaimed, "You know this guy can kill you right!?"

Before Kristen could retort, Rachel suddenly stepped in between them, taking them by surprise as Kristen pulled back her gun. "Mister…" Rachel started to say, "... Can I ask you a favor?"

"Huh?" The Killer said tilting his head a little.

"A favor?" Kristen repeated.

Rachel put both of her hands together as she bought them close to her chest, as if she had been praying, before she looked to him with a dead look in her eyes, only asking one thing.

" _ **Please… Kill me.**_ "

Kristen and Faith were put into shock by this, and even the Killer had been shocked by what she had asked of him as his scythe dropped out of his hands and his jaw dropped; the scythe made a clang noise as it landed on the ground.

"Ra… Rachel…?" Faith said as her voice shook, "You… Can't be serious with that right? You're joking… Aren't you?"

Kristen put her gun in the holster as she stepped in front of her, grasping her shoulders, but not roughly. "Kid, you can't just ask something like that out of the blue!" Kristen told her, shaking her a little, "What about the people that are waiting for you?! Your mom and dad!?"

Rachel looked to Kristen, her ocean blue eyes, mixing with her crimson red eyes as she shook her head, "... It's alright." She told her in a monotone voice, "This is of my choice Kristen."

"But-" Kristen said feeling conflicted, "-But I told you I'd get you out of here. I told you I'd keep you safe, that I would keep you alive!" She gritted her teeth and Rachel felt her grip tighten on her shoulder, "It's my fault isn't it? I should've done something sooner, instead of sitting there and-"

Kristen froze up when she felt Rachel's hand on top of her own. "It's not your fault." Rachel told her, "Don't blame yourself. If I were to stay alive-"

Rachel's sentence had been cut off when they the sound of someone throwing up. The three of them noticed that the Killer on the floor as he puked out whatever had been in the continents of his stomach, leaving them quite speechless at this as neither of them didn't know what they should say. He stood up, picking up his scythe.

"Don't say creepy shit like that!" He yelled, hitting his fist onto the door, "I don't have time to deal with a couple of crazy freaks like you!"

"Hey!" Faith shouted, as they both felt insulted by this.

"Says the guy carrying a scythe around and looking like a mummy?" Kristen said, putting her arms across her chest.

"Don't start Red Eyes!" The Killer yelled angrily, "If one of you can spew out that kind of shit, than you can make yourselves useful and open the damn-"

 _ **CLICK.**_

The elevator doors soon opened, taking the Killer back as the hallway seemed to be a bit brighter from the lights within; The Killer looked to them with a quizzical expression.

Faith held up what looked to be a device with a key, "I found this in his coat pocket." She explained, "I activated the controls to the elevator before we came here."

"He shouldn't have said that this was his floor." Kristen said, "Made it too obvious in my opinion."

The Killer laughed amusingly at this, "Well you're smarter than I gave you credit for!" He soon thought of an idea.

"Hey, you kid." He said, "You asked me to kill you, right?"

"I did." Rachel replied.

"And you two…" He said look to Kristen and Faith, "... Your both smart and want to get out of this place without dying don't ya?"

"That's right." Faith answered hesitantly.

"You trying to make a point?" Kristen asked.

"See the thing is Red Eyes… I'm about as dumb as a rock." The Killer admitted, "You three can put your heads together, and help me get out of this place. Once we're outside, this kid had better make for me, and than…"

He put his blade so that it had been around Rachel's body, making Faith jump and Kristen reach for the gun on the holster.

"I'll kill her… Just like she asked." The Killer said calmly.

Rachel's eyes only brightened a little, "Do you mean that?" She asked.

"Yeah…" The Killer replied, "... So as you three do your job right."

"Okay than." Rachel said.

He removed his blade from Rachel, allowing Kristen to relax a little, though she still had been uneasy. Faith was the same as well as she couldn't help but gulp.

"Now don't get all hyper." He told them, "When I see someone who's acting really happy…" He smiled a wide grin as if he had been the Cheshire Cat, "... Well, I can't resist cutting them up."

"You kill anyone that smiles?" Faith asked curiously, "Is that really your M-O for killing people?"

"The fucks an M-O?" He asked her losing his smile, taking them back a bit as they exchanged confusing glances to each other.

"It's a shorter term for method of operating." Faith clarified, "Didn't you know that?"

"No, why did you think I asked you four eyes?" The Killer told her, before he took a looked to Rachel, "At least, getting hyper won't be issue for one of you." He turned to go into the elevator, though it hadn't been long before he looked over his shoulder.

"What are your names?" He asked.

Rachel gave him an immediate reply, "Rachel Gardner."

He gave Faith a look as he turned back around, and though she was hesitant once more she gave her reply, "It's Faith. My name is Faith."

"There no last name that goes with that Four Eyes?" The Killer asked.

Faith had told him, "Well… It's not that I have a last name, it's just… Some last names are personal, you know? I just happen to be one that doesn't like to give a full name."

"That the truth?" He asked again.

Faith didn't respond with words as she just gave a nod to him. He sighed before he turned to Kristen, "And you? You got a name, don't ya Red Eyes?"

Kristen still held her glare, "I'm not giving you my name."

"You're being stubborn now?" He said, "I'm not asking much, just your name damn it."

She gave a sneer this time, "Like I'd give my name to someone that literally tried to kill me on the previous floor, and not to mention gave me these." She gestured to her bandaged wounds at this and the Killer groaned out of annoyance.

"That was your own damn fault!" The Killer told her, "If you weren't holding that knife in a shitty way, you'd actually have a chance!"

"First of all language, they're children present!" Kristen said, "Second, stop bad mouthing the way I hold a knife! I can hold it just fine thank you!"

The Killer couldn't help but click his tongue as his body twitched, "Fine! If you're gonna be like that, than don't tell me your name! Not like I give two shits about it anyway."

"Watch it." Kristen growled.

The Killer couldn't help but give Kristen a sneer of his own as he gritted his teeth.

"What about you mister?" Rachel soon asked, getting his attention, "What's your name?"

The Killer seemed to have lost his expression before he gave a smirk as he replied, "The name's Zack. Nice to meet ya." The Killer named Zack looked to Kristen who still held her glare, "Well most of you."

Kristen's eyebrow twitched slightly at this, as she felt herself boil with a bit of rage again. " _Why the fuck did she remind me anyone again?_ " Zack thought to himself before he went to enter the elevator.

"Let's go." Zack told them.

"Okay." Rachel said following him inside.

"Ye-yeah." Faith added as she did the same.

Zack soon noticed that Kristen had still been standing outside as she still held a look to Zack. "Are you just gonna give me a look to kill, or are you coming?!"

"Don't yell, I'm coming." Kristen told him as she stepped into the elevator, having a thought in her head, " _I can't fucking believe I'm going along with this._ " With a push of a button from Rachel, the elevator doors closed shut, before it had ascended with the four of them inside.

( _ **Ending Theme: Angels of Death Ending-Pray Performed By Haruka Chisuga**_ )


	5. Chapter 5: Isaac Foster

( _ **Opening Theme: Shiki Opening 1-Kiss Performed By BUCK-TICK**_ )

As the elevator ascended, Kristen, Rachel and Faith sat in silence along with someone they least expected; the Killer on B6 by the name of Zack, as they didn't know what to say to one another. Occasionally Kristen would look over to Zack giving a look that could kill in his direction while Zack himself gave a look back to her.

" _I can't believe… We have to bring him along with us._ " Kristen thought in her head, " _He kills people for a living, and now he's as fucked as we are. How in the world did it come to this?_ " She looked over to Rachel, who had been sitting by Faith, as Faith herself was massaging her own feet, that had been most likely from walking and running for hours.

She remembered her words from before, at what she wanted Zack to do to her once they were outside.

" _Rachel… Even though it hasn't been that long, she's already changed into someone entirely different. Why would she want to wish for death? Doesn't she have anyone waiting for her to come home?_ "

"Hey." She soon heard Zack say bringing her out of her thoughts, "That guy on the last floor, was he a friend of yours?"

The three of them stayed silent while Kristen avoided looking at him, making Zack click his tongue out of annoyance.

"You're ignoring me?" He grumbled.

"What about you?" Rachel asked, making Zack look to her, "You called him by his name before."

Zack tilted his head a little, "Huh? Did I? I can't remember."

"Is your brain really that small?" Kristen asked with a quizzical look of her own.

"Are you trying to piss me off Red Eyes?" Zack said giving her a glare.

"I'm just saying, that I've seen babies with a better memory than you." Kristen told him, "For a serial killer you're not really perspective."

"What was that?!" He yelled.

"Come on you two." Faith said trying her best to calm them down, "We're trying to get out of this place, not looking for ways to kill each other." Both of them clicked their tongues as they looked away from one another.

Soon enough the elevator came to a halt, stopping on the next floor, which had been B4. The doors opened to a new area, and they immediately noticed the smell of dirt in the air which they couldn't help but find odd.

"Let's go." Zack said after he picked up his scythe; after throwing it over his shoulder he stepped out of the elevator. Kristen, Rachel and Faith soon followed behind him as they stepped along a stone pathway immediately noticing the cold air around them. Each of them noticed pools of water beside them as the lights had been dimly lit like on B5.

Faith looked over to her left and noticed something out of the ordinary. "Hey look." She said getting their attention; she pointed over to a set of bubbles on the surface water, making sounds as the bubbles popped.

"There's something in the water." Rachel pointed out.

"Should I check it out?" Kristen asked.

"I don't think that's necessary right now." Rachel told her, "Besides… Your still hurt, and your wounds will get infected, since the water doesn't look very clean."

"She makes a good point." Faith said to her.

"Hey!" They heard Zack yell, "If you three are done gawking than get your asses moving!"

"It's not like we're going to move any faster if you shout like that!" Kristen told him, "And what did I say about language!?"

Zack let out a growl as his eyes twitched a little at how Kristen talked to him. "Mister?" Rachel soon said, "I've been meaning to ask, do you know this building well?"

"You've been here longer than we have." Faith added, "If you can give us a bit of an insight, than it would be helpful."

Zack soon replied, "Well I don't know all the details. The only reason why I came here was they told me I could kill whoever I wanted. It's probably the same thing for the other people on the other floors too."

"Like we didn't know that already Sherlock." Kristen said.

Zack let out another growl at this before he started to walk forward, "Can we move this along already?" Without another word, the three of them followed Zack further down the hall that had been provided. Eventually the four of them were taken back when they soon found themselves in a room filled with tombstones.

"The hell is this supposed to be?" Zack asked as he looked to the many tombstones.

"I guess it's supposed to be a cemetery." Faith said.

"That explains the smell of dirt." Kristen added, "But they're sure are a lot of them in here…"

"I wonder who they belong too." Rachel wondered aloud.

"Really, who gives a shit?" Zack soon said, earning a look from Kristen. Zack merely huffed and went forward, though it wasn't a second later before he found himself stepping down suddenly before he had been given any warning.

"What the hell!?" He exclaimed as he started to get off whatever had been stuck to his foot, "It's filthy and it's clinging to my fe- **GAH!** It's all sticky and gross! This is not my day damn it!"

"Shouldn't we do something?" Faith asked awkwardly looking to Rachel.

"We should." Rachel added, "Or rather…" The two girls slowly looked to Kristen as she did a double take at them. She let out an annoyed sigh as she knew what exactly what they were thinking.

"For the love of-"

Kristen soon took out the knife from it's holster. She looked in the open grave noticing that it had been a decaying corpse he stepped on; it's hand was stuck to his foot before she kneeled down beside him making him freeze at how close she was.

"Don't move." She told him as she cut off it's fingers still holding the knife as if she had been cooking.

Zack couldn't help but feel pissed at the way she had been holding it, but decided to say nothing at the moment. After she had gotten the fingers off of him, he stood up brushing off whatever had been at the bottom of his boot. Just as he did this Rachel soon looked into the open grave.

"The hell are you looking at?" Zack asked her, "You wanna be in a grave that badly?"

"I already am." Rachel replied, making Kristen and Faith look to her with a look of solemn. Zack on the other hand couldn't give a rats ass about her words, as he threw the scythe back over his shoulder.

"Let's go." He told them.

Kristen and Faith seemed to follow behind, though Rachel on the other hand, she still looked on to the open grave, as they quickly took notice. "What's up with fascination with graves anyway?" Zack asked her, as he started to get impatient.

"Come on Rachel." Kristen said, "We gotta keep moving."

Rachel soon turned to them and caught up with them, as they followed the first opening they saw. They eventually found themselves in what looked to be a dead end, filled with more tombstones and the entryway seemed significantly larger. It looked to be a dozen of tombstones within as it started look more like a cemetery.

" _Jesus…_ " Kristen said in her head, " _... There so many of them here. Just how many people came in this building before us?_ "

She soon noticed that Zack found a memorial with something written on it. She noticed the look on his face as he groaned out of annoyance. "Hey!" He called out, "One of you read this!"

"You're not serious?" Kristen said.

"You see this face Red Eyes?" Zack said gestured to his bandaged face, "This is me being serious! Now read the damn thing!"

"With that tone in your voice, I'm not gonna do it!"

" **QUIT BEING A STUBBORN BITCH RED EYES!** "

"Language!"

"You two…" Faith said as she didn't know what to do.

Rachel let out a sigh before she stepped forward to the plaque; she looked to the writing and began to read aloud what had been written. " _The welcome by the Holy Land. The chosen Lord, the Good Men, the Beloved by the Angels, the Special Ones leave yourselves in the magnificent glory of the Lord. To the traitors, here will be their prison forever…_ "

"What an interesting way of putting things." Faith said, as she scratched her chin.

"I don't get it." Zack said as he shrugged a little.

"Why am I not surprised?" Kristen mumbled earning a look from Zack.

Rachel soon noticed something in the center of the room; She saw there had been a total of four tombstones, each one looked freshly made. She broke off from the group as she approached them taking them back a little as she stopped in front of the four tombstones.

"Don't go wandering off!" Zack called out as he followed her.

"Something the matter?" Kristen asked.

"These ones…" Rachel said, "... Look freshly made."

Faith felt the material on the stone with her open palm, "You're right. I wonder who took their time to do this?"

"What difference does that make?" Zack asked.

"They're names on it." Rachel said, looking to the tombstone in the middle. Carved into the tombstone Kristen noticed that in fine print there had been Rachel's name; Her full name to be precise. "That name is yours." Kristen pointed out.

"Yeah." Rachel said, nodding a little.

Faith looked to the tombstone in front of her as she saw that their was carving as well. "This one has my name too." She said, her fingers brushing over the carving with her open palm.

Kristen noticed the tombstone on the far right; she stepped towards as she noticed that her:# was written incursive, "There's one for me as well."

She soon noticed something sitting in front of the tombstone. It had been that of a rose, in an odd color; it had been in the color of black with thorns as sharp as pins. She picked up the rose from the tombstone, as she appeared to have been caught in a trance by it. She felt a ring in her head as she found herself seeing a few images in her head, that seemed unclear; the only she could make out was the color of red.

The others didn't seem to notice as they found an unfinished tombstone on the far left.

"Than that one over there is…" Rachel started.

"It's supposed to be mine?" Zack said, going towards it, "Is this here so I can die at anytime? That really pisses me off…" He moved his scythe over his head as he had prepared to take a swing at it.

"I'll crush it into dust." He said all with a smile.

"You can't do that!" Faith said stopping him, "Your scythe will break otherwise."

" **SHUT UP, I KNEW THAT!** " Zack yelled at Faith making her shrink a little.

Rachel had soon noticed the way Kristen looked, as her skin looked to be a bit paled as she still held onto the black rose; She approached her and tapped her arm. "Kristen?" Rachel said seemingly snapping her out of the trance, "Is something wrong?"

For a moment, Kristen looked to the black rose in her hand before she had tossed it to the ground. "N-nothing." Kristen replied, her voice stammering a little, "I'm fine." Rachel tilted her head as if she had been a dog. Zack noticed how Kristen looked though he couldn't place his finger on it, it had irritated him since he could tell from the look in her eye… _**She had told a lie**_.

He held the blade of his scythe near Kristen's body, causing her get back her composure and taking Faith and even Rachel by surprise; though the child had been calm.

"Listen here Red Eyes." Zack started to say, "... You don't care about me, and I don't care about you, but I sure as hell don't intend to die here with any of you. I don't give two shits about what the fuck is going through your head, but you better get your shit together and-"

His sentence had been cut off when he noticed Kristen looking at something. She stepped away from him and peeked behind Rachel's gravestone. That's when they saw it; a narrow gap in the wall.

"There's a draft, coming from here." Kristen said as she looked within.

"The wind feels cold." Faith said as she shivered when she felt the breeze.

Zack looked over Kristen's shoulder, "You think somethings in there?"

"I think…" Kristen replied, "I can't really see in there though. It's too dark."

"Well, you're the one that pointed it out; go check it out." Zack said to her. Kristen froze a little at this when she looked inside again. She had only now realized how dark it had been; she trembled as she started to sweat at the thought of venturing in a dark area by herself. She felt her body shake a little at the thought. Though it hadn't been long before she heard Faith say-

"She's not going to fit." She told Zack, "The openings too narrow for her."

"So?" Zack asked.

"She'll get stuck if she tries to go through." Rachel reasoned.

Zack clicked his tongue, "Maybe it's because of that fat ass she's got on her."

That seemed to have snapped her out of her thoughts as she felt her face turn red with rage and her body flinch. " **EXCUSE ME, WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY!?** " Kristen yelled as she turned over to Zack raising her fist to me.

" **YOU HEARD ME, YOU RED EYE BITCH!** " Zack yelled as he had been in her face, " **I SAID YOU HAVE A FAT ASS!** "

" **YOU JERK!** " Kristen shouted hitting him on the head, " **I CAN TAKE THE INSULTS YOU THROW AT ME, BUT WHEN YOU TELL ME I'M FAT, THAT'S CROSSING A LINE!** "

" **OH YEAH, WELL YOU SHOULD REALLY RETHINK HITTING PEOPLE THAT COULD KILL YOU! WHICH BY THE WAY I'M ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE FAT ASS!** "

" **ARE YOU ASKING FOR A DEATH WISH!?** "

" **ARE YOU ASKING FOR ONE IS THE BETTER QUESTION!** "

Faith stood their awkwardly and Rachel just watched the two of them argue with each other. "I feel like they're going to kill each other right now…" Faith said awkwardly as she slumped over a little.

"Maybe…" Rachel said still with a dead look in her eyes.

She looked towards the narrow opening examining a little; she looked over to Kristen as she had remembered their conversation from when they were on B5 as they were in a place where it had been dark. Looking at the narrow entrance once more, she had soon thought of a solution.

"Faith and I can take a look." Rachel said to the group, making Kristen and Zack to stop arguing with each other, "You two can stay here."

Faith had soon caught on what Rachel had been saying as she soon added, "Now that I think about it… Rachel and I are small enough, so we'll be able to go through with ease."

"Wait, you mean, you want to go by yourselves?" Kristen said surprised, "Are you two sure that's a good idea?"

"It's the only choice we have." Faith reasoned, "We're certainly not going to get anywhere if we stay here."

Kristen gave it thought for a moment before she replied, "I guess that's true."

"Hang on a second!" Zack soon said eying Rachel and Faith suspiciously, "How do I know you two aren't going to run away?"

Faith turned to Zack giving him a somewhat really look. "Why would I do that?" Faith asked him before saying, "I'm not outside of this place yet. Even if I did run, I would have nowhere to go on this floor, plus I'm not good at defending myself if I run into trouble."

"I won't run away either." Rachel told him, "You still haven't killed me yet."

Kristen and Faith both flinched at this, though Zack still look unphased by her words as he let out a sigh. "That crap again? You really are creepy." Zack said before tossing his scythe in the air as he caught it and putting back over his shoulder, "Fine. You two go ahead and check the hole."

"In the meantime, can you guys look for the exit out here?" Rachel asked Zack and Kristen.

"An exit?" Kristen said as she couldn't help but feel confused.

Zack had looked to Rachel annoyed by this, "Don't order me around."

"It'll make things go a lot faster if we all search for-" Rachel started to say before her sentence had been cut off.

" **THERE AIN'T NOTHING BUT GRAVES HERE!** " Zack couldn't help but shout.

"Hate to say it, but I agree with him kiddo." Kristen said, "How do you know if there's an exit out here?"

"I don't." Rachel replied, "But there might be a trigger in here that we missed."

This of course had Kristen and Faith look to Rachel with awe as they just surprised that Rachel came to that conclusion. "Huh… I actually didn't think of that." Kristen said, as her jaw had been slightly dropped.

"Me neither." Faith had added as she looked to Rachel, "I know you're younger than I am, but you really are smart."

"Seriously that's your reasoning?" Zack said, "Do you really think I would know I trigger if I saw one?"

The three of them looked to Zack as they all had a certain thought. Though he didn't seem very bright, he seemed to know what they were all thinking as he couldn't help but look pissed off.

" **HEY!** " He shouted. Kristen couldn't help but turn her back to him as she did her best to hold back a laugh coming in the back of her throat. "You better not be laughing at me Red Eyes!" Zack yelled to Kristen.

"Anyway…" Rachel said, turning to Faith, "... Let's go take a look."

"Sure." Faith said. Though she rummaged through her skirt pocket before she took out her walkie. She handed it over to Kristen just as she recovered, "Here. You should hold onto this." Faith said, "Rachel still has the other one she, so it should be alright."

"Good thinking." Kristen said as she took the walkie, "Contact me if you run into any trouble."

Faith nodded and thus the two of them went through the narrow passage; just as they did-

"Also!" They heard Zack said, "If you get caught in a trap and die, than one of you had better tell me!"

The three of them couldn't help but look to him with a raised eyebrow on their faces. "What?" He said annoyed. "You do realize that dead people can't talk right?" Kristen said. Zack couldn't help but growl at this as she saw his eyebrow twitch.

"How small is your brain?" Kristen asked as she tilted her head a little.

" **SHUT THE FUCK UP RED EYES!** " Zack yelled with a pissed off look.

" **WHAT DID I JUST SAY ABOUT LANGUAGE!?** " Kristen shouted back as she hit him on the head.

" **AND WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT HITTING ME!?** " He exclaimed as his face was close to her own again.

"Also mister…?" They soon heard Rachel say, causing Zack to turn to her.

" **YOU'RE STILL NOT DONE TALKING!?** " Zack yelled.

"If it's possible…" Rachel started to say, "... Could you not destroy my grave?"

Surprisingly enough he didn't yell right away as it looked as though he had been processing what she had been asking. Eventually he replied as he looked off to the side, "... Whatever."

The two of them went inside, while Kristen and Zack waited for them on the outside.

* * *

Both Rachel and Faith ventured down the long hallway with only the lights to guide them on their pathway. The lights flickered ever so slightly every now and and again.

"This seems a little longer than I thought." Faith said, "Where do you think this leads?"

"Hopefully to a way off of this floor." Rachel replied calmly, "I hope Kristen and that guy will be fine by themselves."

"Probably." Faith said, "I'm just worried that they might kill each other if we leave them alone for too long."

The two of them, or rather just Faith jumped when the lights suddenly went out. They both stopped when they heard something echo through the halls. The sound of a child laughing as it sounded like it had been all around them.

As quick as the laughters came, it had disappeared as the lights turned back on, as the two couldn't help but look up to the ceiling.

"What… Was that?" Faith asked fearfully.

"I'm not sure." The child replied. It hadn't been long before they saw a room up ahead. They both looked to one another before they entered the room that had been in front of them. They saw that in the room there had been a bag of dirt with a couple of shovels, a work desk with paper and a pair of black gloves and another door with a red light.

"What an odd looking room." Faith commented.

Rachel reached for the doorknob as to open the door, though it was locked. "I can't get it open." She told Faith.

Faith went to examine the door. "It doesn't look like it has a key." She said, "Maybe there's a button around here that could open it?"

"I don't think so." Rachel replied, "There's no good place to hide it."

Before Faith could say anything she noticed something on the desk. It looked to be a letter and a fresh orange flower that sat on the work desk. "Who put this here?" She wondered as she picked up the letter and flower and looked it over; Her eyes widened slightly.

"Rachel…" She said in a worried tone, "... This letter is addressed to you."

Rachel tilted her head a little as she took the letter and flower from Faith, as she started to read it aloud.

 _Rachel,_

 _I've been curious about you for a long time. I want to meet you, but those two are in the way. You know something? I knew in an instant that I liked you. So I arranged something special for you. A place just for you…_ _ **Where you can rest in peace forever**_ _._

"Talk about creepy…" Faith said as she shuddered a little.

"Rest forever…" Rachel repeated before she had spotted what looked to blueprints of a tombstone, "What's this…?"

* * *

Kristen and Zack looked around every corner of the graveyard to see if they could find anything of use, though so far nothing had seemed to turn up for the two of them. Kristen let out an annoyed groan as she looked behind another gravestone only to have it turn up fruitless.

"Damn it, there's nothing here either…" Kristen said.

"Seriously, how are we supposed to find a trigger?" Zack said, "There's nothing but graves."

"It would go a lot faster if you actually looked around instead of walking!" She told him.

"Quiet Red Eyes!" Zack told her as he flipped her off, "You're lucky that I'm doing jack shit!"

"Well fuck you too." Kristen said as she turned her back to him as she flipped him off. Zack's eyebrow twitched at this as he looked around the room. "Why did she remind of anyone again?" He mumbled to himself before he looked back to his gravestone again.

"Shit…" He said aloud, "... Someone had serious balls to make _**ME**_ a grave. I wanna crush it."

"Faith already said your scythe would break didn't she?" Kristen said, "You're better off not doing it."

Kristen had decided to take another look around the tombstones to see if she had missed something behind one of them. She even looked in between the gravestones as to see if she had missed anything, though-

 _ **CLANG!**_

" **DAMN, IT'S HARD!** "

Kristen turned to Zack's direction and saw that he was hitting his own gravestone. Though it wasn't with his scythe, it was with a pickaxe. "Where in the world did he get that?" She couldn't help but question. She saw Zack took another swing and just like that his gravestone broke into pieces, making him laugh loudly.

"I sure showed you!" He said cheerfully, "That'll teach you to be so sturdy for a rushed job!"

"He's acting like a little kid…" She had said to herself, "... Than again…"

"I know…" She soon heard Zack say; she saw that he had a devious smile on his face, "... _ **I'll crush them all**_."

"Eh?"

The next thing Kristen knew he suddenly made a dash to the row she had been in. Realizing what he meant she quickly moved out of the way as she let out out a surprised squeak. Just as he swung the pick axe breaking it into pieces as he continued to laugh loudly, allowing his voice to echo throughout the room. She watched from the sidelines as he continued to smash up the many gravestones that laid before them; occasionally she dodged debris that had flown at her.

" **HEY! AT LEAST WATCH WHERE YOU'RE SWINGING THAT THING! ARE YOU TRYING TO GIVE SOMEONE A CONCUSSION!?** " Kristen yelled, before she was nearly hit with another flying rock.

" **JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!** " She exclaimed as she dodged.

She found herself at the center of the room again, as she felt her back hit something. She had realized that she had run into her tombstone again, as she had looked to the black rose that was still on the floor. She found herself picking up the rose again studying the petals closely. She looked over to her gravestone and back to the rose in her hand.

"This rose…" She said to herself, "... Why does it… Remind me of something?"

The moment Kristen blinked she found herself in a different place all together. She found herself standing in a garden filled with roses all in different shades of color; the roses reminded her of a rainbow, though what she had been doing here she had no idea. She just found herself transfixed on the roses before her very eyes.

"Beautiful…"

She had soon been startled when she heard the sound of someone singing.

 _ **Raindrops on roses, and whiskers on kittens**_

 _ **Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens**_

 _ **Brown paper packages tied up with string**_

 _ **These are a few of my favorite things**_

She turned in the direction of the voice and saw it had been a woman, who looked to be around her age, but appeared to be in her twenties. Her appearance seemed to have been more clearly, as her hair had looked to be in the color of the sunset; Her face turned red at the sight of her beauty as the woman before her hummed the rest of the song.

" _The roses are coming out lovely this year._ " She heard the woman say to her, " _Don't you agree?_ "

Kristen merely nodded her head to her as she couldn't find any words to say to the woman before her. " _It's good that they started blooming._ " She said, as she started to remove some from the garden, " _I was worried that we would've gone to the spring festival empty handed._ "

The woman held up a white rose to her, " _Here, this one will go great with that outfit we bought the other day._ "

Kristen gave a small smile as she went to take the flower. That's when a ring started to go off in her head, and she found herself surrounded in static for a moment. She was taken back when she suddenly found rose petals fly right by her face, as well as a pool of blood. She found herself standing before a body, of that very same woman whose hair shined brighter than hers.

Her pale skin had been stained, as the set of petals had been scattered across the floor. Kristen looked down her hands and saw that red was on her hands and underneath her nails. The police sirens had sounded off in the distance as she found herself blinded a little by the light.

" _It was her! The one with the red eyes! She did it!_ "

"Wait, what?" Kristen said looking to the crowd, and the officers coming towards her, grabbing a hold of both of her arms "No wait! I didn't do this! Please!"

" _You're under arrest for the murder of AXXXX GXXXXX. Anything you say can and will be held against you in the court._ "

"Stop! Let me go!" She yelled as she struggled, "I didn't kill her! Please let me go!"

" **HERE COMES THE NEXT ONE BITCHES!** "

Kristen had been snapped out of her own thoughts when she heard another tombstone break beside her. She turned and noticed Zack had broken Faith's tombstone. " **SERVES YOU RIGHT!** " Zack said with a laugh. It hadn't been long before he noticed the look on Kristen's face.

"The fuck's up with you Red Eyes?" He asked as he put the pick axe over his shoulder, "Deep in your thoughts again?"

"No, I'm fine." She told him as she avoided looking at him as she still held the black rose. She jumped a little when Zack had been up close and invading her personal space, as he looked closely to her. "Uh…" Kristen said, as she backed up, "...What are you doing?"

"You did it again." He said in an angry tone of voice.

"Did what?" She asked.

"You told a lie." He replied as he gritted his teeth, "Earlier you said a lie to that little girl, when she asked you what was wrong."

"What difference does it make if I told a lie?" She asked though she didn't see that this only seemed to anger Zack, "It's not like you care if I told the-"

Kristen had suddenly been cut off when she felt Zack grab a hold of her shirt and lifted her a couple of inches off the ground; dropping the pick axe he grabbed his scythe and held the blade just underneath her chin as she had been taken back.

"Something you should know about me Red Eyes…" He said in an aggressive tone of voice as he brought the blade closer, "... I _**HATE**_ lies. If you don't tell me the truth, within the next five seconds, I _**WILL**_ not hesitate to cut you up right here and now."

Kristen saw the look in his eyes though she couldn't tell if he had been serious about his words or not. She sighed as she had managed to get his fingers off of her, allowing her feet to gently touch the ground. "What difference would it make if I told you the truth?" She said as she put her arms around herself, "You said it yourself, you don't care about me, and I don't care about you."

"You stubborn little-" Zack said before he groaned annoyingly, "I was telling the truth that I don't care about you. But it pisses me that you're just spitting out lies." Kristen didn't say anything as she now kept silent, before Zack continued onward, "You don't like me, and you've got no reason to. But you're gonna end up digging yourself a grave if you keep hiding shit. Either you tell me the truth, or I kill you. You're choice."

Kristen let out a sigh as she played with her for a bit. She didn't want to say anything about what had been bothering her, but he did make a good point about one thing. He would kill her if she didn't do what he told her. Her hand shook a little as she had thought back to the police, the day they had taken her into custody, as it had made her blood boil.

"Well…?" Zack said, "You gonna start telling me the truth now?"

Kristen soon turned back to him, "Where would you even want me to begin?"

"You can start by telling me what you're doing here." He told her.

She couldn't help but laugh a little at this, "I can't really remember. Only bits and pieces. All I know is I was framed for a crime I didn't commit. I was meant to go and plead with the judge, but-Someone took me here. I don't who it had been though."

"A crime?" Zack said curiously, "...What was your crime that you quote on quote committed?"

Kristen froze a little at this as a ring went off in her head. All she saw was red in her vision and the sight of rose petals scattered on the floor. She groaned a little as the image seemed to have pass her by.

"Don't go passing out on me Red Eyes." He said as he noticed the way she looked.

"They think…" She started to say, "... I… _**Killed someone.**_ "

Zack didn't seem phased by this answer, "Did you?"

"No! Of course not!" Kristen told him angrily, "I could never kill anyone, even if my life depended on it! Besides… The person they think I killed, I think I knew her… She was an important person to me. I would never even think of taking her life!"

"You told them this?"

"Of course I did! But when I told them this at first, they didn't believe me! Most of them still didn't believe until one of them decided to listen with their heads instead of their ears! And it still pisses me off that most of them still don't!"

Kristen couldn't help but stomp her foot on the ground hard as she felt rage build up into her heart, as it rushed to her veins. "Fuck those cops! Fuck those detectives! Fuck all of them!" Zack spat to the side as he watched her grasp her head and scratched at it violently; he knew he said he didn't care though he didn't know why, the moment he saw blood in her nails he just couldn't watch this anymore.

"Quit it with that shit Red Eyes!" Zack told her after he stomped over to her grabbing her wrist, "You're making my stomach churn the way you're doing that!"

"Than how the fuck do you suggest I cope with it?!" Kristen said to him.

He let go of her wrist, as he placed his scythe down once more. He picked up the pick axe again as he handed it to her.

"Break shit." Was all he said as he shoved the pick axe into her hands, making her stumble a little due to the weight.

She looked around, taking note that all of the tombstones had been broken thanks to Zack, before she turned to her own tombstone. She looked to the pickaxe in her hands before she looked over to Zack.

He didn't say anything to her as he only ushered her to break the tombstone before her. With a deep breath she held the pickaxe in her hand, as she struggled to keep her balance. She took one strong swing allowing the tombstone to crack; she jumped back a little due to the backlash. Though this didn't stop her, as she thought back to the people that had doubted her, and those that had told her she was wrong and that she had been lying. She picked up the pickaxe again as she started to swing, breaking apart the tombstone.

"Fuck you!" She yelled as she did this, "Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you! **FUCK YOU!** "

* * *

- _ **Earlier**_ -

Rachel had been quick to take notice of blueprints that sat nearby. She picked it up and and looked at what was written. "Faith." She said, "Look at this." Faith looked over her shoulder to examine the paper, taking it from her hand.

"How interesting." She said, fixing up her glasses a little bit, "There appears to be calculations written at the bottom of this page. There might be a clue to where can find a way to open the door."

Rachel soon started to think for a moment, "Maybe if we add it to the number of graves we can-"

The two of them jumped when they heard a loud bang sound in the distance followed by the sounds of laughter. "What in the world?" Faith said.

They heard the laughs continue before they heard loud noises again.

"What are they doing?" Faith said awkwardly.

"That's annoying." Rachel said nonchalantly.

Just than they heard the door behind them make a click sound; they both saw that the light above the door knob had been green instead of red. Stepping forward, Faith reached for the knob and gave it a turn; it opened with but a push.

"It's open now." She said to Rachel.

Rachel looked back to the pathway that they had just come through as she wondered aloud, "Did he got it open?"

" **HERE COMES THE NEXT ONE BITCHES!** " They heard him shout.

"Probably not…" Faith said as she slumped over a little, "Anyway we should what's up ahead. There might be something that'll help us along the way."

All Rachel did was nod her head before the two of them proceeded to move forward to the pathway that had been given to them. As they went towards whatever had been up ahead. As they walked along Faith gave a little whistle that seemed to have bounced against the walls of the halls; Rachel took notice of the tune she had been whistling.

"Mother Goose..." Rachel said, making Faith stop, "That tune you're whistling. It's a Mother Goose Rhyme."

"You noticed huh?" Faith said a little embarrassed, "... It's something I like to do to keep myself calm. It's what kept me sane when I was hiding. Sounds silly huh?"

Rachel shook her head at this, "It's not silly. It sounds normal."

Faith laughed a little at this, "Thanks."

"That Mother Goose Rhyme… What's it called?"

"Hush Little Baby. My brother used to sing me that song when I was little to help me sleep. Though he would sing it instead of whistling since I'm not very good at that sort of thing."

Rachel soon noticed that Faith a sad look on her face, as she had said, "... I wish he was here with us…"

"I've been meaning to ask…" Rachel started to say, "... How did you and your brother get separated from each other?"

"Didn't I tell you?" Faith wondered. Rachel only shook her head in reply letting Faith sigh a little at this.

"I suppose I could tell you, since we're going to be with each other for awhile." She said before she started to explain, "It happened before you two came her, and before they announced that guy as traitor. Like I said before, we were having trouble finding the controls for the elevator. He ended up finding us, and we had to run. My brother managed to find us a place to hide on the floor. We decided to wait for someone like you and Kristen to come along and help us. He decided to look for something for us to eat but… Huh?"

Rachel noticed the look on Faith's face as she appeared to have a look of confusion and appeared to be in some kind of pain as she put her hand to her forehead. "Faith?" Rachel said as she tilted her head a little.

"I…" Faith started to say as she was shocked herself, "... _**Can't remember the rest.**_ "

Before Rachel could ask she noticed another room up ahead. She picked up her pace a little and Faith was quick to follow. They stepped into the room filled with a dozen books and in open binder in the desk in front of them. "It's a reference room…" Rachel said as she looked around.

"What's it doing here…?" Faith couldn't help but ask as she went to look at the book on the desk.

The lights soon went off again, causing the two of them to look to all that surrounded them, as the child's laugh had been heard again. Though this time around it had sounded close, as if whoever had been laughing had been in the same room with the two; The lights above soon turned back on with a click.

"Is someone there?" Rachel asked as she looked around, though she had gotten no answer from the person. She soon looked to Faith as she saw her put something in her pocket. "Rachel, come look at this." She said motioning her to come over.

Rachel walked over and looked within the binder that had contained what looked to be a set of profiles; each page containing a different person with each turn of a page. She noticed however the previous page had been torn out leaving behind little pieces of paper, though she decided not to pay any mind to it, at least for now.

"Watkin Becket…" Rachel started to read aloud, "Place of Death: B3. Cause of death: Blood loss from a bullet wound."

She turned the page, to the next profile

"Cut open on B6."

And to the next.

"Hanged on B5."

And to the next.

"Beaten to death on B4."

"These are all people that came to the building before we did." Faith said, "These poor people…"

"What does that make us?" Rachel said as she turned to the next page. Her expression changed when she gotten to one with a familiar name. It was her own name; Rachel Gardner. "Your own record…" Faith said.

"Yeah…" Rachel said as she removed her page from the binder, as she looked over her own profile. Faith soon noticed what the next page contained. She saw it was of the man they allied themselves with. She took the paper from it's confines and gave it a read.

"Isaac Foster." Faith said, gaining Rachel's attention.

"What does it say?" Rachel asked as she had been curious.

"It doesn't have his official age or birthdate." Faith replied, "But according to this, it says something about-" She read ahead in the passage as she let out a gasp, "Oh my word." She said to herself. Rachel took the paper from Faith and gave it a glance recognizing the person in the photo. It hadn't been long before she put her profile and his into her messenger bag.

"It doesn't really change the situation that we're in." She told Faith.

Faith looked Rachel a little shocked by her words, "... I guess not, but… It's still a bit shocking you know." She soon turned back to the pathway where they first came in, "Anyway, we should probably head back to them. We've left them alone for too long."

"Wait." Rachel said to Faith making her stop. She started to flip through the pages again, "All these are in alphabetical order." She said, "If there are profiles of us, than there should be-" She finally stopped at a page when she had gotten to those with a last name starting with W. There they saw a familiar girl with red eyes and black hair; though the photo within the picture looked to be a mugshot. Though in the photo she looked to be a little worse for wear.

"Kristen Waterson." Rachel read, "It's just as I thought…"

"That mugshot." Faith said, "That must've from when the police…"

Rachel took the paper from the book, and started to read what had been written, "Birthdate: December 25, 1999. Born in XXX Hospital in the city of XXX. Is the only child of Heather and Trevor Waterson. Parents both died in a hit and run when she was only six and-"

Rachel soon took notice that the rest of the writing had been inked out, as she could hardly make out what the next set of words had said.

"Who could've done this?" Rachel couldn't help but wonder aloud as Faith had the same thought in her head.

Just than the lights went out once more as the same child's laugh was heard again. As quick as the laughter came, it had suddenly disappeared just as the lights turned back on.

"That laugh again…?" Rachel said.

"Seriously…?" Faith said as she shivered. It hadn't been long before they noticed what look to be a letter and the same orange flower like what they had found previously.

"That wasn't there before…" Faith said as her voice shook a little.

Rachel went and took the paper from the desk, as she read what had been written.

 _ **I know what you really want. I can make you fabulous…**_

* * *

With one final swing, Kristen had hit what had been left of her own tombstone as she quickly caught her breath. What had been left of her tombstone as it been reduced to a stump with the rocks and debris in nothing more than tiny little pieces. She fell to her knees as the pick axe rolled out of her hand.

"Fuck… You…" She said in between her breaths.

Zack who had stood nearby couldn't help but give her a clap.

"Would you look at that Red Eyes?" He said as he examined what remained of her tombstone, "Didn't know you had that much anger to work with."

"Shut. Up." Kristen said regaining her composure as she gave him a glare.

"That was quick." He said impressed. He soon looked over to Rachel's grave, "That just leaves that one…" He said to himself.

Just as Kristen picked herself up off the ground wiping the sweat off of her forehead, Zack took the pick axe from the floor and went towards Rachel's tombstone. "I don't get it…" He said, "... Why's she so attached to this anyway?"

He gave a smile, and went to swing at it-

"Whoa, wait!" Kristen said grabbing his wrist, "What do you think you're doing!?"

"What's it look like?" He replied, "I'm gonna destroy this piece of trash."

"She told you not to though!" She told him, "What's she gonna think if she came back and saw her grave in pieces?!" Kristen had been taken back by her words as she had been surprised to say that kind of thing. " _Why am I even concerned about that for one thing?_ " She thought to herself.

Zack couldn't help but let out a sigh as he pried his hand away from hers, "Way to spoil the fucking mood Red Eyes…" He said in an annoying tone before he tossed the pick axe to the side.

"... By the way…" He said looking to Kristen as she had noticed he was genuinely confused, "... What are we supposed to be doing again?"

Kristen nearly fell to the floor at this before she had shouted, " **ARE YOU SERIOUSLY GOING TO ASK ME THAT!?** "

Before Zack could even yell back, they heard the sound of footsteps coming from the crack in the wall. They saw that it had been Rachel and Faith.

"We're back." Faith said stepping through, "You're not gonna believe what we-Eh?"

It was only than that they noticed that all of the tombstones, minus Rachel's were all in pieces. Faith looked shocked while Rachel on the other hand looked unphased.

"What happened here?" Rachel asked turning to Zack and Kristen.

"They pissed me off, so I destroyed them." Zack replied as he took his scythe back in his hands.

Rachel soon turned to what had been left of Kristen's, as she and Faith looked to her. Kristen immediately took notice of this, "...I may… Have unleashed my fury on my tombstone." She replied awkwardly.

"We can see that." Rachel and Faith said simultaneously.

Zack soon turned to Rachel and Faith, "Well? Did you two find anything?"

"Faith and I found what looked to be a reference room in there." Rachel replied before she had taken at the profile pages she picked up, "We found also found these inside." Both Zack and Kristen examined the profile, which had been her own; Kristen was surprised while Zack on the other hand was just confused again.

"This profile is yours…" Kristen said merely shocked, to which only Rachel nodded.

"Here." Rachel said, handing Kristen her own, "We found yours too."

Kristen took it from Rachel as she noticed the photo that was on her profile page. "Where in the hell did they get that…?" She mumbled to herself.

"The only thing I see is just a piece of paper with writing." She soon heard Zack say, "What's it supposed to tell ya?"

"A profile normally tells you about a person." Faith replied, "Like how this profile tells you about Rachel."

"That's useless." Zack said, "There's nothing to gain knowing more about a you, now is there?"

Faith was about to retort but had only realized that he made a good point, "When you put it like that…"

"Also…" Rachel said flipping the page, as Kristen had taken notice, "... This was there too."

She took a closer look and saw his photo on the corner of the page. She looked over to Zack who didn't even bother to look at the photo. "That's you, isn't it?" She said to him, though she didn't really expect him to answer. She turned back to the two, "Did you guys read it?"

The two of them nodded their heads; she took the paper from Rachel before she gave it a read.

"Isaac Foster. Birth date unknown. Entered an illegal orphanage as a child. The poor conditions were later exposed but from that point Isaac Foster's whereabouts were unknown." Kristen's head felt a little fuzzy at the words she had seen; Simple keywords really. Several images seemed to have passed her by at a fast pace; so fast that she couldn't make them out.

"How do you feel about reading that?" She soon heard Zack say. The three of them looked to Zack as he held his scythe out.

"You're right Red Eyes…" He said before he put the blade to her neck, " _ **Isaac Foster is me.**_ "

Kristen looked down at the paper as she looked back to him. "Not gonna lie." Kristen started to say, "It's a good name. Better than Zack anyway."

Zack had been taken back by this, but quickly rid whatever he had been thinking in his head, "You've all read what was on there I take it." He said, "... What do you think?"

"What do you want us to think?" Faith said, "It's not like it changes anything."

"She is right." Kristen said, holding the paper out to him, "Like you said, all of this is useless. This is just information, nothing more than that."

Zack pressed the blade closer to her neck, "You're not afraid of me? Any of you?"

"Nope." Kristen replied.

"I'm not either." Rachel added.

"Maybe I was beforehand, but I'm not now." Faith answered.

All Zack did was laugh a little out of amusement. "You know… You three sound like this person who said something similar."

* * *

- _ **Sometime Ago**_ -

 _A young woman ran into an alleyway in fear of her pursuer but stopped in her tracks when she realized she saw she had ran into a dead end. With a knife in his hand, Zack stepped towards the terrified woman as he had a smile plastered on his bandaged face._

" _Are you afraid of me?" He asked the woman, "Because you should be."_

" _No I'm not!" The woman stated, "You see, I'm actually a fan of yours."_

 _Zack held the knife to her neck, causing her to flinch, though she continued to talk to him. "You were… In the newspaper right?" She said trying to put enthusiasm in her voice, "I wanted to meet you! I'm honored that I ran into you."_

 _She placed her hand on top of his and another on his chest._

" _My goodness… You're so manly."_

 _She slid her hand down his chest sensually causing Zack to lower his hand slowly._

" _Hey listen, maybe can we-"_

 _Zack grabbed her head before tossing her to the ground catching her off guard. It hadn't been long before she had a fearful look on her face._

" _What the hell are you talking about?"_

* * *

 _ **(KRISTEN)**_

 _ **What happened than?**_

 _(ZACK)_

 _It amused me, so I gave her five seconds to run instead of three._

* * *

 _The woman quickly ran after Zack began to the countdown. When he reached one he started to sprint after her, laughing as he did. He was quick to catch as he had grabbed her by the head again but this time he had pushed her against the wall pinning her._

" _If you're not afraid of me, than why did you run?" He said as he still had his smile._

" _ **I LIED!**_ " _The woman practically screamed, "_ _ **YOU KNOW THAT I'M AFRAID OF YOU! I JUST SAID ALL OF THAT SO THAT YOU MIGHT LET ME GO!**_ "

 _Zack lost his smile at this as the woman began to cry horrifically as she came to the terrifying conclusion. Zack on the other hand flipped the knife in his head._

" _Big mistake…" He said with a glare, "... Cause I_ _ **REALLY**_ _hate lies."_

 _And just like that everything had turned red for the poor woman._

* * *

"Sorry but…" Kristen soon said, "... What does that story have to do with any of us?"

Zack's jaw dropped at this as he had been left shock but this kind of response. He was put even more into shock when Faith soon said, "Yeah, was there a point to telling us this?"

"Wait, what!?" He couldn't help but shout.

"If there was a point…" Rachel soon said, "... Than should I follow that woman's example? If I run will you kill me? If I take proper steps will you kill me?"

Kristen and Faith couldn't help but have a solemn look at what Rachel had said, but the two of them jumped when Zack dropped his scythe out of shock, again.

"God fucking damn it!" He groaned as he slapped himself in the face, "I forgot she wants me to kill her!"

"Is something the matter?" Rachel asked.

"Nothing!" Zack replied as he picked up his scythe before he turned to Faith, "You, four eyes! You said you were scared before, why the change of heart?"

"Well…" Faith said, "... Let's just say you can't judge a book by it's cover. That's my reasoning at least."

Zack gave another confused look to her, as he gave out an annoyed sigh, "I don't get that crap." He said to himself before looking to Kristen, "What about you Red Eyes? Why aren't you scared of me?"

Kristen was about to reply, however she found herself struggling to do so, "... I…" She started to say as she put a hand to her head, "... _**I don't know.**_ "

Zack gave a quizzical look at this before he had said, "Nevermind forget I asked. So was that all you two found?"

Faith soon gave a reply, "There's another door back there, but it's locked. It didn't look like there was a key."

"There might be a trigger out here too." Rachel added.

Zack couldn't help but groan at this, "Shit! Another one!?" He soon cried out in agony when he felt Kristen step on his foot hard. He grasped it as he started to hop a little.

" **WHAT THE HELL!?** " He yelled.

"Language." Was all Kristen told him, making him growl.

"Also…" Rachel soon said, "... We heard someone laughing."

"Laughing?" Kristen said questioningly, "... What do you mean laughing?"

She looked down at her feet before she added, "... The person… _**Said they knew what I really wanted.**_ "

Kristen stayed silent at this as her eyes widened slightly; Faith had a look of worry as well as she remembered the letters that they had found prior. Zack on the other hand after he had been quick to recover as he came to a conclusion in his head.

"Is that so?" They soon heard him say.

Setting aside his scythe he went to pick up the pick axe back up as the three of them took notice of this. "Wait, what are you doing?" Kristen asked.

"What's it look like Red Eyes?" Zack told her, "I'm gonna destroy that grave. It's annoying the hell out of me."

The three of them gasped in shock from this.

"Wai-" Rachel started to say but she had been cut off by Zack.

"Get over it ya brat." Zack said, before he shouted, " **YOUR GRAVES NOT HERE!** "

Before any of them could react, he took one swing and Rachel's grave shattered like glass. What remained of her tombstone fell to the floor as Kristen and Faith looked shocked by Zack's actions, while Rachel had looked to be the most affected by it, as her eyes seemed to have darkened even more.

Once more he tossed the pick axe away as he picked up his scythe. "Why!?" Faith said to him with a bit of anger in her voice, "Why did you do that!?"

"Like I said…" Zack replied with his back to her, "... She's allowed to die, only _**AFTER**_ I get out of here."

Spitting to the side, he went back the way they came with Faith following behind him. Kristen looked over to Rachel as she looked hurt by what had just happened. She went over to her side reaching out to her.

"Rachel?" She asked with a gentle voice, "Sweetheart, are you okay?"

Rachel stayed silent before she turned to follow Zack and Faith, disappearing into the hall ahead. Kristen's face had been written with concern as she looked back to what had been left of Rachel's tombstone. With a sigh, she soon went to catch up with the rest of them.

( _ **Ending Theme: Angels of Death Ending-Pray Performed By Haruka Chisuga**_ )


	6. Chapter 6: No Such Thing

( _ **Opening Theme: Shiki Opening 1-Kiss Performed By BUCK-TICK**_ )

They searched for a key to the door as they looked around the area that had surrounded them, though they couldn't find a place to where the floor master had hidden the trigger or key. The four of them soon found themselves back at the elevator as Zack had started to kick at the door. Kristen shook her head at this while Faith had a somewhat awkward look on her face.

"There's no trigger here damn it!" Zack shouted angrily.

"Well of course there isn't!" Kristen told him, "It's not like ones magically gonna drop from the ceiling when you kick the door!"

"Don't start with me!" He told her, turning to them, "Just hurry up and figure it out!"

"I can't think of any places we haven't checked." Faith said as she scratched underneath her chin, "We've looked all over in the other rooms available to us, and there's no trace of any kind. Where haven't we looked…?"

Rachel soon turned to the water beside them as she looked to the bubbles. She tilted her head wondering about something.

"I wonder…" She said to herself.

Zack immediately noticed the look on her face, "You thought of something?"

"Those bubbles there." Rachel soon said as she pointed over to them, "I think it might be the trigger."

The group looked over to the set of bubbles in the water. Faith said with a shrug, "It is the only place we haven't looked."

"Yeah…" Kristen agreed as she went to go into the water, "... Might as well che-"

"You're still hurt." Rachel said cutting her off and taking her arm gently, "We can't risk your wounds getting infected."

"But that could open the door in the back." Kristen said, "One way or another, we've gotta get to that switch."

"True." Faith said, "It doesn't help the fact that Rachel and I are too short to go into the water… So the only person here is…"

The three of them slowly looked in Zack's direction, taking him back a bit. He looked to the water than back to them as he realized what they were going to ask.

"Hell no!" He exclaimed, "I ain't gonna go in the water!"

"Hey, no one said you had to." Kristen said putting her hands up.

"If you don't want to, you don't have to." Rachel added.

"We can find another way to get to it." Faith finished.

The four of them stayed in silence as the sound that had been was from the bubbles within the water. Zack's eye twitched slightly as he let out an annoyed groan, "I never said I wouldn't." With that being said, he jumped into the water, as it had only reached up to his waist.

"Move carefully, so you don't fall over." Faith told him.

"I got it Four Eyes so shut up." Zack told her. He started to move slowly in the water towards where the bubbles had been, taking care as to not trip in the water.

"Hey Mister?" Rachel soon said, "Are you really going to kill me?"

Kristen and Faith flinched slightly at this, while Zack couldn't help but feel annoyed. " **I ALREADY TOLD YOU! I'LL KILL YOU ONCE WE GET OUT OF HERE!** " He yelled turning to her. Rachel couldn't help but eye Zack suspiciously at this as she couldn't tell if he had been lying or not, while Kristen and Faith kept themselves quiet. That was until-

" **IF YOU WANNA DIE, THEN GO AND KILL YOURSELF!** " Zack yelled.

The two of them gasped at this which made Zack flinch a little.

"What?" He said as he had been confused by their reaction.

"You can't just tell someone to kill themselves!" Faith told him, "Granted what Rachel is asking for is insane, it's still wrong!"

"You don't sound very convincing." Zack said to her, making Faith pout.

"Look despite our predicament and the deal you two made, suicide is a bad thing for anyone in general!" Kristen soon added.

Zack was even more confused by this as he tilted his head, "Why is that?"

"Why?" Kristen repeated, "It's because-Because um…" She tried to think of an answer to give him though she had trouble as she let out a groan herself.

"Maybe it's because…" Rachel started to say, "... _**God says so**_?" The three of them looked to Rachel, just surprised by her answer. Though to be honest the answer didn't really make sense to any of them.

Zack finally broke the silence between them, "What kind of an answer is that?"

"Well…" Rachel said, "I don't really understand it myself but…" She clenched her hand a little, and though Faith nor Zack didn't notice, Kristen could almost swear that her eyes brightened a little, as they didn't really look dead as before, "... _**If God says so… It must be true.**_ "

Kristen couldn't help but find this interesting as she had a thought in her head, " _Never took the kid for being the kind to believe in that stuff. Still, I wonder…_ "

"God, huh?" Zack soon said, "Then at least put some effort into getting me to kill you."

Faith soon spoke up, "Not that I'm siding with Rachel and the deal you two made but… What exactly would you have her do?"

"All she's gotta to do is make a face that makes me want to kill her." Zack replied, making the three of them give an odd look, "She can get mad or cry or something can't she?"

"I guess, but right now…" Faith replied with her sentence trailing off as she turned back to Rachel. They saw that she had a dead look in her eyes again as she looked over to Zack.

He let out a sigh at this as he turned to her. "Come on kid, do you just have no muscles in your face or what?" He said before giving her a command, "Just cry already!"

As expected Rachel gave no reaction; she didn't even twitch as she still had a dead look in her ocean blue eyes.

"Are you sure, you're not already dead?" Zack asked.

"I'm alive." Rachel replied, "That's why I want you to kill me."

"That's not quite what he meant." Faith said as her expression was still softened. Kristen on the other hand still stayed silent as she looked to the ground.

"Okay… I get it kid." Zack said pinching the bridge of his nose, "... Can you at least try to smile?"

Rachel tilted her head a little at this, "Smile? How?"

Zack groaned at this, as he rubbed his head, "Just smile damn it!"

Kristen and Faith watched as Rachel shut her eyes for a moment before opening them again. They were both taken back at the fact that Rachel's face changed from a monotone look to a smile; even her eyes though they bared no reflection, seemed to have changed.

" _I never realized how pretty she is with that look._ " Kristen thought to herself, as she had a small smile herself, " _It really does suit her._ "

"It's no good. Your eyes look dead." Zack said getting the attention back to him; he turned his back to them as he started to make his way to where the bubbles had been. "What a waste of my time."

"Nothing really does satisfy you, doesn't it?" Kristen said.

"Zip it Red Eyes, I'm not in the mood for-"

Zack's sentence had been cut off by what sounded like a thump sound, muffled by the water. "Oh, he got it!" Faith said, her eyes brightening slightly.

"Mister, don't move from-" Rachel started to say before Zack cut her off.

"Quit ordering me around you brat!" Zack shouted, turning back to them.

"And you stop yelling at them in that tone!" Kristen said to him, before she turned to the girls, "The door should be open by now. You two head back there and check it out."

"Okay." Rachel said as she nodded.

"Got it." Faith added, "We'll let you know if there's any trouble."

" **HEY!** " Zack yelled, " **WILL YOU GET YOUR ASSES MOVING ALREADY!? THIS SHIT FEELS COLD AND GROSS!** "

" **LANGUAGE YOU A-HOLE!"** Kristen yelled as she held her fist to him.

Rachel and Faith both looked to one another, before they headed back towards the open path in the wall, just down the hall. Kristen watched the two of them disappear just up head. Kristen looked to the walkie which she had removed from her belt.

"Be careful you two…" She said to herself as she held the walkie close to her.

It hadn't been long before she heard Zack let out a sneeze, causing her to turn back to him just as he wiped his nose. "Damn it…" He said to himself as he shivered.

"You might as well come out of there now." Kristen told him, as she put her hands behind her head, "If there's the last thing any of us want, it's for one of us to catch a cold."

Zack gritted his teeth as his eye twitched again.

"I was about to do that." He grumbled.

He made his way back over to the edge and climbed up, though he had been struggling to do so, considering that he had the scythe in his hand. Kristen couldn't help but sigh at this as she went over to him.

"Give me your hand." She said as she held her hand out to him while she kneeled.

Zack didn't say anything, as he grunted out of annoyance; he eventually took her hand. Putting her other hand on top of his own, she pulled him, struggling to do so before she pulled. Though she yanked back too hard as she accidentally fell onto her back, pulling Zack along with her. They both let out a scream, falling to the ground with a grunt and his scythe landing on the ground with a clang.

When Kristen opened her eyes, she found herself in a compromising position. Zack had just been hovering on top of her, both of his hands on each side of her head. His leg happened to be between her own.

Her face turned red at this as she had just been left stunned having never been in this kind of position before. Zack was in shock as well, though she couldn't tell he was blushing due to the bandages covering his face. He shook his head as he quickly got himself off of her and picked up his scythe that was on the side, mumbling a curse to himself before he went back over towards where Rachel and Faith had gone; stomping as as he did this.

Kristen herself sat herself up from the floor as she placed a hand over her chest feeling her heart beat really fast.

"What the fuck just happened?"

Immediately she shook the thought from her head, losing the red on her face before standing up, following Zack's lead. When she had gotten back, she saw Zack pacing around angrily, mumbling something to himself, not even realizing that she had been there; She couldn't tell what it was since it had sounded incoherent.

"Better not ask…" She said to herself before she took a seat at what had been left of her grave. She decided to pass the time as she took the knife out of holster, spinning it in her hand, as she put the walkie beside her.

It seemed like hours had gone by as they both wait for Rachel and Faith to come back; at times Kristen thought to contact them on the walkie but always didn't do it. She didn't know why but she just did.

"What is taking them so long!?" Zack soon said angrily as he continued to pace, eventually stopping, "Don't tell me they decided to run!"

"You know they have no reason to." Kristen replied not taking her eyes off what she was doing, "Faith did say she can't defend herself and Rachel…" She was hesitant with saying her next set of words but she was able to pick it back up, "... Made that deal with you. Really think about it."

Zack was about to retort, but restrained himself in doing so as he realized she made a good point.

"She's right…" Zack mumbled to himself, though it didn't seem like she heard him as she continued to spin the knife in her hand. Zack had his back to Kristen as he couldn't help but think back to the youngest in the group, this being Rachel.

"That kid…" He said, "... It's hard to kill someone when they have such a boring look on their face…"

He thought back to only a few moments ago when he had told her to smile. Despite the dead look she gave, he wouldn't being lying, that is if he could lie if he said he wasn't entranced by the way she looked.

"Of course, if her eyes hadn't look so dead earlier…" Zack started to say, before he had a smile of his own, "... _**That wouldn't have been too bad for me to cut up.**_ "

"Ow!"

Zack flinched slightly when he heard something it the floor. He looked over in Kristen's direction and saw her shaking her own hand as the knife had only a little blood. She put her finger in her mouth as to suck away the blood on her finger and ease the pain.

He was quick to put together what had happened.

"Didn't I tell you, you're shitty when it comes to holding a knife?" He said to her.

"Don't judge me." Kristen said to him, "At least it's better than having just a gun!"

Zack merely spit to the side as he couldn't help but give a sneer in her direction. "Where did you even get those things anyway?" He asked her, "Did you come here with them?"

"No." She replied, turning her head over to the side, "I just happened to find these in the room I woke up in. I took them with me since I thought I could defend myself in case I ran into trouble."

"Yeah, look how well that turned out for ya." Zack said sarcastically making her growl a little, "If I managed to get two hits on ya, than you can bet your ass that the other psychos in this building will get you too."

Kristen merely laughed to herself as she said, "... I'm a full grown woman buddy. I can take care of myself."

Zack gave a look that said that he didn't buy into her statement. He remembered fighting with her on his floor, though she did put up a fight, she really sucked at it. He didn't know why it pissed him off so much, but it did and he hated feeling like that. He hated to admit it, but his chances would slimmed if one of them died on him before he made it outside. That was something he couldn't risk, considering her, and the other two were the only chance he had on getting out of here.

"Give it here." He said holding his hand out.

"... I'm sorry?" Kristen said confused.

"You're knife." Zack clarified, "Hand it over."

Kristen couldn't help but eye him suspiciously, as she reached for the gun in it's holster; he took notice of this. "Relax Red Eyes, as annoying as you are I'm not gonna kill you. I just want to see it."

"Why?" Kristen asked.

"Just shut up and give it to me." He told her as he sounded somewhat aggressive. Kristen didn't flinch at this but she ended up picking the knife up off the ground before handing it over to Zack. Placing his scythe nearby, he took the knife from her and held it up towards the ceiling examining it's blade.

"Huh…" He thought aloud, "... _**It looks just like mine**_ …"

"What was that?" Kristen asked not quite hearing him.

"Nothing, just talking to myself." He replied as he soon held the knife in front of him. Flipping it in his hand, he gave a couple of practice swings as to test how it felt. Eventually he had the knife up to Kristen's face as she didn't even flinch.

"Not bad." He said, "Shame you can't tell me exactly where you got it from."

She pushed his hand away as to look at him directly in the eye, "Just out of curiosity…" She started to say, "... Is there a point to doing this?"

"As a matter of fact there is." Zack replied taking her back a bit. Flipping the knife back over he held the blade handing it back to her.

She took the knife back, by the handle as she was still curious to what his motivation is. He picked up his scythe again before he turned back to her, holding it so the blade wasn't at the front.

"Lose the gun and come at me with your knife." He said to her as he got himself in a stance.

Kristen was taken back by this again, "Excuse me?"

"Come at me with your knife." He repeated, "Like you want to kill me."

"Like I-Hold on, why do you want me to do that?"

"I didn't get a good look at how you were holding it earlier when we were fighting. Now come at me with your weapon."

"I can't tell if you're being serious or not."

"I already told you before… _**I hate lies.**_ "

Kristen gave him a look, but she let out sigh. Removing her hoodie, she draped over Rachel's now broken tombstone revealing her black t-shirt, before doing the same to the holster. She held the knife in her hand as she soon stood in front of Zack.

"Now." He said, cracking his neck, "Come at me."

Kristen complied, though she still held the knife like she just came out of the kitchen, as she charged at him. Zack used his scythe to hit the knife out of her hand taking her back before he tripped her making her fall on her back. He hovered over her holding the blade to her neck, though she didn't panic like she did before.

"Dead in one shot." He said taking the blade away from her, "Now that is pathetic."

Kristen sat herself up, as she gave a sneer in his direction. "Is this supposed to be you humiliating me?"

"No." Zack replied surprising her again, "This is supposed to be me helping you."

Kristen had been pretty shocked at this. Here she was, with a serial killer in a life or death kind of situation, and he's telling her, that he's helping her. She would say that he was lying to make fun of her or some stuff like this, but than again he did admit to them that he hates lies, so she couldn't even say something like that.

She got herself up off the ground as she brushed herself off of the dirt that got on her. "It's your stance that was off." Zack told her, as he took the knife from her again, "Not to mention the way you were holding it is all wrong."

Zack soon showed her how she had been holding it, "This is how chefs or cooks hold it."

He flipped the knife in his hand as changed the way he had been standing. He held the knife on it's side as he held his other fist in front of him, "This is how you hold it in a fight." He broke out of his stance again, and flipped the knife again, holding it so that the blade was facing downward.

"And this…" He started to say, "... _**Is how you hold it to kill**_."

Kristen was in shock by this as she looked up to him as she had just been stunned. Zack noticed the look on her face as he gave a quizzical expression.

"Are you out of your fucking mind?" Kristen questioned.

Zack merely sighed, "Trust me when I say Red Eyes, you're gonna need to know this kind of stuff if you want to get out of here still breathing."

He went to hand the knife back to her, "Here. Try to come at me again, but this time hold it like I showed you."

Kristen didn't take the knife, she instead hit it his hand to side causing the knife to fall out of his hand. "Didn't you listen to what I told you before!?" She said to him with a bit of anger in her voice, "I _**DON'T**_ kill. I never have and I never will!"

"Yeah?" Zack said to her, "Do you think the psychos in this place are going to give a shit about you like and don't like?" Kristen had surprisingly stayed silent at this as she couldn't find a retort to this. She averted his gaze as she looked to the ground, her hand shaking a little at the thought.

"I…" She soon started to repeat, "... I don't kill… I could never kill…"

"You're starting to sound like a record now." Zack said sounding annoyed, "Whether you want it or not, there are people, probably crazier than me that want and _**WILL**_ kill you if you're not prepared to kill them first. If you fight, you'll live, but if you don't, you'll die. That's the kind of words I've always lived by from day one."

Kristen felt a ring go off in her head as an image seemed to have go by. This time this image was of herself as a little girl, standing with someone, but she couldn't tell who it had been.

"It's…" She started to say, "... It's wrong to kill…"

Zack didn't say anything as he finally noticed that Kristen's body was shaking. "If I start to kill… If I sink that low… _**She**_ _**won't forgive me**_ …"

"She?" Zack had repeated.

Zack soon noticed the look on her face as she had been taken back by what she said.

"Wait…" She said, "Why… Did I say that? Who wouldn't forgive me?"

"How the fuck should I know?" Zack told her, "You're the one babbling crazy shit not me. Now are we gonna do this or not?"

Kristen looked over to the knife before she looked back to Zack; she picked up off the floor as she just looked to the weapon in hand as she had wondered about something.

"Are you just gonna stand there like a statue or are you going to come at me?" She heard Zack say.

"Why…" She soon started to say as she turned back to him, "... Why are you doing this? I thought you said you didn't care about me."

"I did." Zack replied, throwing his scythe over his shoulder.

"Than doesn't that mean that you shouldn't care whether if I should live or die. So why are you doing this?"

"Because my chances on getting out of here go down the toilet if one of you goes and dies on me. Better to have a fighting chance than none."

"Is that you're only reason?"

"Nah, I don't think so."

Kristen raised her eyebrow at this as she tilted her head a little. "You think, or you know?" She asked.

Zack mumbled his reply though she didn't quite hear him as she saw him look over to the side. She wanted to ask him to repeat, but she found herself not doing so, as she looked to the knife in her hand. This time she didn't hold the knife the way she had been usually holding it, instead she held it the way he had showed her; though it wasn't downward, she held it to the side.

She gave a whistle as to get his attention. Zack turned to her, and saw her get into a fighting stance; Zack smirked before he got into a stance himself.

"You better not fuck this up for yourself." Zack told her.

"Same to you, ya damn mummy." Kristen said to him.

She quickly charged at him, with her knife in hand and did as he had told her; she went at Zack, like she was going to kill him. This time, she had put up a fight, as Zack found himself blocking her everytime she thrusted her knife forward. Zack looked happy about this as he noticed her movements became quicker than expected. Though he saw a blind spot as she attacked and quickly used it to his advantage. Just as Kristen went to thrusted her knife towards him, he grabbed ahold of her arm and pinned it behind her back, so that her body was against his own. He held his scythe close to her.

"That was impressive!" Zack said, "Though it could be a little- **OW!** "

Zack had been taken back when he felt Kristen elbow him in the stomach causing him to back up. She soon tripped him so that he fell onto his back before Zack found her on top of him, pinning him after she kicked his scythe away. It was than Kristen caught her breath as she had a satisfied look on her face.

"I win." She said to him triumphantly.

Zack tried to yell or even throw an insult, but he surprisingly couldn't do it in that moment. The very minute he saw the look on her face, he just felt entranced. He didn't know why, but he found this sensation familiar as he saw a familiar image before his eyes followed by a ring.

"What?" Kristen asked looking confused, "What's wrong?"

Zack quickly got his composure back and pushed her off of him. "You got a lucky shot!" He said as he got up off the floor, "Don't get too confidant otherwise you'll end up dead!"

Kristen rubbed her face and groaned, "Seriously? Does nothing in this world, or what I do please you!?"

"The fuck makes you say that!?" Zack yelled.

"You're just pissed off all the time, and you don't even bat an eye to when people do something good! Can't you just show a little praise!?"

"Why should I, if it's for someone like you?! Your just a stubborn bitch that won't even tell me her name!"

"And your a stubborn bastard who needs people to read what's on a plaque!"

"Why do you think I wanted you to read it!?"

"I don't know because you're lazy!?"

"I sure as hell ain't lazy!"

"Than why did you tell one of us to read-!?"

" **BECAUSE I CAN'T READ, OKAY!?** "

Kristen stopped herself from saying anything more as her eyes widened from shock by his words. Zack on the other hand looked embarrassed as he turned his gaze to the side, with but a sneer on his face. She was processing what he had just told her; she didn't know what to say, hell she didn't even know what to feel.

Should she feel sad for him?

Should she feel guilty about before?

Should she feel pity?

Honestly, she didn't know what.

All she could do was give a certain look in her eye as she had her eyes were still on him as she couldn't help but find this situation familiar. "Oh my God…" She said softly as she put her hand in her head.

"Don't do that." Zack said to her harshly, "Don't feel sorry for someone you don't care about."

"Am I supposed to have a different feeling?" Kristen asked as she had still been speechless, "I mean… Not remembering simple things is one thing but… Jesus Christ…"

"What did you think I meant when I told you I was dumb as a rock?" He said, "Because I am! I don't know shit about-" Zack found himself holding back his words for a moment before he picked back up again while he shrugged, "-You know."

"Yeah…" Kristen said awkwardly rubbing her elbow, "... I should've picked that up…"

Zack let out a sigh, "Don't let this kind of thing go to your head. And you better not laugh or poke fun at afterwards!"

She was taken back at this, "No, I wouldn't do that. That would be crossing a line for me."

Zack couldn't help but look to her with a skeptical expression on his face, "Are you lying again?" Kristen didn't reply verbally as she shook her head, which couldn't help but take him back as he just looked to her surprised.

"Oh…" He said awkwardly as he cleared his throat, "Okay than. Glad that we have an understanding…"

The two of them had an awkward silence between each other as they didn't what more they wanted to say. They couldn't even bring themselves to yell each other as they did before. They didn't know why, but they just didn't know what to say, as they had avoided looking at each other for a while. Kristen soon took a deep breath before she finally decided to make conversation, "... Can… You really not read?"

"Didn't I just say a second ago Red Eyes!?" He yelled, "Why would I have any reason to lie!?"

"Just making sure." She replied, "Did you ever try to learn how to yourself?"

"Yeah but…" Zack replied as he soon rubbed the back of his neck, "... I was shit at it."

Kristen nodded making a mental note of it. She appreciated him helping her out, despite the fact that he tried to kill her before, but she felt a little bad since she had nothing to give in return. That was the words she lived by, when someone does something for you, you return the favor. If she had found the chance, she would help him out with that sort of thing.

For now something else peaked her interest, something that had bothered her for a bit. "That story you were telling before…" She began to say, "... Was it true?"

"What the fuck kind of a question is that?!" He asked, "Of course it's the truth! Like I said-"

"-You hate lies." Kristen finished, "You've made that very clear. But, have you really not told a lie? Or even attempt to with anyone?"

Zack clicked his tongue as he couldn't help but feel anger again. Why is she asking this, is what came to mind. Despite the fact that he didn't want to answer her, he felt compelled to. After all, what else was their to do to pass the time?

"I never told a lie." Zack replied, "And I never will."

"Oh."

Zack noticed the way she looked as she had a look that said, "I'm disappointed by this answer". "I think it's time I ask you something Red Eyes." Zack said to her, "Why do you sound upset about it?"

Kristen merely shrugged as she took a moment to think of her reply. "Maybe it's because…" She soon said, "... I have doubts about your answer."

"Doubts?" Zack found himself repeating.

She soon started to explain herself, "... It's just that… No one can be totally honest with other people. It's not a part of human nature just to tell the truth. It's just in our nature to lie." She noticed Zack gave her a certain look as she let out another sigh, "Well, maybe not in yours, but… Generally speaking for everyone else in general…" Kristen said, "Sometimes it's better just to give one lie, than to deliver a painful truth. _**There's no such thing as an honest person…**_ "

Zack noticed the look in her eye, as she had a look of sadness. He knew he said he didn't care, but for some reason, he couldn't stand to see that look in her eyes. He wasn't sure why but he did, despite the fact he said he didn't care.

"Quit being that look on your face!" He said a bit harshly, "The last thing I want is for another one of you spouting out more morbid creepy shit!"

Kristen couldn't help but chuckle a little as she said nothing to him at first. Despite her hating him, she found his company comforting, and that was saying a lot. She had her back to him before she finally spoke.

"Kristen Waterson."

Zack flinched at this as he looked to her just confused, as he didn't quite hear her, "What?"

"Before..." Kristen clarified not turning to him, "You asked me my name. That's my full name. Kristen Waterson."

Zack huffed at this as he gave a satisfied smile. "Kristen huh…?" He said, "... That ain't a bad name, for someone like you."

 _ **CLICK.**_

The lights around them suddenly went out, leaving the two of them in the dark. Zack didn't seemed phased by this as he appeared to be only annoyed by this. Kristen on the other hand, turned as pale as a ghost, and her body started to shake. Zack had been taken back when Kristen let out a terrified shriek.

"The fuck!?" He exclaimed.

She sank to the floor as she was now in a fetal position. Zack heard her let out uneven breaths; if he could see in the dark, he would've seen Kristen sweating up a storm and on the verge of tears. "Hey!" He called out in the direction where he heard her, "The hell's wrong with you!?"

His body soon flinched a little when he heard the sound of a child's giggle. It seemed to have echoed throughout the room.

"You grave ruiner…"

Zack got his composure as he readied his scythe in the direction of the voice. Little did he know there had been a child no more than eleven standing just a few feet in front of him. His entire face covered with a mask, as he had on a plain white t-shirt with baggy overalls and a red scarf. Over his shoulder he had a shovel as he looked to Zack with emerald green eyes.

"Hey there, Zack."

( _ **Ending Theme: Angels of Death Ending-Pray Performed By Haruka Chisuga**_ )


	7. Chapter 7: The Gravekeeper on B4

Rachel and Faith made their way back down the path they had come from to get to the door to continue forward. Though this time around their had been an awkward silence between the two. Rachel had her reasons, but Faith on the other hand she couldn't help but think back to the conversation from earlier, and… The deal her and Zack made earlier. Faith couldn't really understand what exactly Rachel was thinking in her head.

She was a year younger than she was, and she still couldn't believe she was having such thoughts in her head.

"Hey Rachel?" Faith soon said, "Is it alright if I ask you something?"

"I don't mind." Rachel replied as she had looked ahead, "What is it?"

Rachel noticed that Faith had been hesitant as she looked a bit nervous about something. Finally she spoke up.

"Why… Do you want that guy to kill you?" She asked as she had struggled to look at her.

At this, Rachel had stayed silent, though Faith didn't really pay mind to it or pester her for an answer. Instead they both stayed quiet, as only the sound of their footsteps were heard.

"Why do you ask?" Rachel soon asked her.

"It's just that…" Faith started to say as she started to fidget with her fingers, "... It sounds wrong to me, and probably to Kristen too, asking someone to kill you like that… I mean… Even after if…" Faith stopped herself for a moment, biting her bottom lip before she had picked it back up again, "... When we get out of here… You'll end up-"

"Faith." Rachel said cutting her off, as she had finally looked to her, "I understand your concern. But it's like I told Kristen before. This is my choice. I want this."

"Even so… Don't you think it's wrong to wish for something like this?"

"No. Besides… If I stay alive… _**God wouldn't forgive me.**_ "

Faith had been taken back at this as she had stopped for a moment, processing her words. She was honestly surprised as Rachel kept walking forward; she still couldn't believe the fact that a girl of her age would be into this sort of stuff. Though at the same time she couldn't help but feel intrigued by it.

"You are an interesting person." Faith said to herself.

This time, Rachel stopped in her tracks as she looked to her. "Did you say something?" Rachel asked as she didn't quite hear her.

"Oh, nothing! Don't worry about it!" Faith said awkwardly as she shook her head vigorously.

"I see." Rachel said, turning to move forward again.

Before Faith could follow she noticed Rachel had stopped again. She noticed that, she bent down to pick something up.

"Rachel?" Faith soon asked, "What is it?"

"It's another letter." Rachel soon replied as she stood back up.

Faith had been taken back by this as she approached, looking over her shoulder. It had indeed been another letter, with the same orange flower. "It definitely wasn't here when we came here." Faith said softly, only earning a nod from Rachel.

Rachel soon proceeded to read the letter aloud.

" _There's nothing to be confused about. You know my_ _ **wish**_ _and yours are a_ _ **perfect**_ _, don't you?_ "

* * *

( _ **Opening Theme: Shiki Opening 1-Kiss Performed By BUCK-TICK**_ )

 _ **CLICK.**_

The lights around them suddenly went out, leaving the two of them in the dark. Zack didn't seemed phased by this as he appeared to be only annoyed by this. Kristen on the other hand, turned as pale as a ghost, and her body started to shake. Zack had been taken back when Kristen let out a terrified shriek.

"The fuck!?" He exclaimed.

She sank to the floor as she was now in a fetal position. Zack heard her let out uneven breaths; if he could see in the dark, he would've seen Kristen sweating up a storm and on the verge of tears. "Hey!" He called out in the direction where he heard her, "The hell's wrong with you!?"

His body soon flinched a little when he heard the sound of a child's giggle. It seemed to have echoed throughout the room.

"You grave ruiner…"

Zack got his composure as he readied his scythe in the direction of the voice. Little did he know there had been a child no more than eleven standing just a few feet in front of him. His entire face covered with a mask, as he had on a plain white t-shirt with baggy overalls and a red scarf. Over his shoulder he had a shovel as he looked to Zack with emerald green eyes.

"Hey there, Zack."

Zack's eye twitched at the sound of the boy's voice; he spat off to the side looking to where he had heard him.

"Hey little shit." Zack said.

"I went to all the trouble of making a grave for you." The boy said, "Why would you destroy it? Are you crazy?"

Zack merely chuckled at this, "For all the trouble you went through, you really did a shitty a job."

"That's cause I was in a hurry." The boy said, putting his shovel over his shoulders, "On the bright side, I can keep the gravestone the way it is right now. It's a perfect match."

" **I'M GONNA PUT YOU IN A GRAVE FIRST YOU LITTLE BRAT!** " He soon yelled.

Zack swung his scythe in the direction where he was, though the boy was quick to jump out of the way as he landed on the ground with a laugh. The boy had landed just near where Kristen had been; though he didn't touch her or anything, Kristen let out another scream as she found herself falling back onto the floor.

" **N-NO!** " Kristen shouted hysterically as she scrambled, eventually hitting another broken tombstone, " **DON'T LEAVE ME HERE! NOT HERE!** "

"Hmm?" The boy said intrigued his face close to hers as she cried not even taking note of his presence, "I guess even adults have tiniest fears like this, huh? Funny I didn't expect that from someone like her."

" **GET AWAY FROM HER, YOU LITTLE SHIT!** " Zack yelled aggressively as his grip on his scythe tightened; he didn't know why, even though he shouldn't care about her, he hated the fact that the boy was in close proximity of her.

The boy seemed to be annoyed by this, as he made a face under his mask; though he turned to him, putting his hands behind his head as he stood, "For your information, my name isn't brat or little shit. My name is Eddie. Try not to wear it out."

" **SHUT THE FUCK UP!** " Zack shouted as he took the swing, only to have the boy named Eddie duck again.

"You ruined their graves too." Eddie complained as he ducked from his blade again jumping back from it, "I'm gonna have to remake them again."

" **WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!?** " Zack yelled went to attack again.

Eddie once again avoided it, keeping his distance from him as he felt gleeful at a certain thought. "You know something…" Eddie started to say, "... That girl Rachel… _**I fell for her the moment I saw her.**_ "

"The hell are you on about!?" Zack yelled at Eddie.

"The only thing I ever did was make graves for people who had already been killed." Eddie began to say, "If I had to be honest I was getting bored of it.I like making graves, but I felt no affection towards who goes in them. There's no beauty in that. I want to make the perfect grave for Rachel. I can do the same for the people she likes too. Rachel's close to my age, and above all, I can relate to her. Love and being loved… _**Mutual love**_."

Under his mask Eddie let out a smile at the thought of it all, "It must be far more beautiful than one sided love for a messy corpse." Eddie giggled at this, "Of course I don't mind it being messy, if that's what she wants…"

"Quit talking like a sick freak!" Zack told him.

"She's a perfect fit with my aethstetic." He heard Eddie say, "Even her friends seem so too!"

When Eddie turned to Zack his expression seemed to have changed from underneath his mask, "Which is why… _**I'll be the one to kill them**_."

Zack couldn't help but feel ticked off at that; he had no idea why but he did. He charged in the direction where Eddie had been. " **GET OVER YOURSELF YOU BRAT!**!" He shouted swinging his scythe with more strength than before.

Eddie merely laughed as he jumped away; Soon enough Zack heard his laughs echo throughout the room, before the lights came back on by the sound of a click.

" **WHERE ARE YOU!?** " Zack yelled as he looked around, " **COME OUT AND FIGHT YOU NECROPHILIAC!** "

Despite the lights being turned on, Kristen had still been on the floor hyperventilating. She fell on her side, hugging herself as tears began to fall from her eyes and onto the stone cold floor; she started to struggle to breath as she tightened the grip around herself.

"Damn it!" Zack said, "Hey Red Eyes, we gotta-"

Zack stopped himself as he had finally noticed the way Kristen looked. He didn't know why but in that moment…

He started to panic himself.

"Shit! Hey!" Zack said as he ran over to her, dropping his scythe; he slid on his knees, stopping just at her side, "The fuck's wrong with you!?"

"Ple-please…" He heard her say, "... N-No more. I can't take it… I-I do-don't want to be here… I don't to be a-alone… P-please… Do-Don't leave me…"

"Get hold of yourself!" Zack shouted as he started to shake her, "You can't go crazy on me now!"

She didn't seem to have heard him as she stared to claw at her bare arm, which Zack himself had been taken back by the way she had been acting.

"Don't leave me here…" She said hysterically, "I don't want to be alone…"

Zack gritted his teeth as his own body shook at the way she had been acting. He'd never seen anyone like this, even the people that he's killed. Sure, he's had many of them cry on him before he killed them, but never like this, never this way.

"Hey, can't you hear me!?" Zack soon said as he shook her again, to his surprise he found his own voice shaking, "I'm talking to you, ya know!?"

"Ple-please…" He heard her say as the tears kept coming, "Ple-please…"

"You can't hear me can't you?" He said, "Damn it…"

He clenched his fist, hitting onto the ground as he felt angry and he could swear he felt a little fear, as he kept his other hand on her shoulder. For a moment her turned to the open gap in the wall, where Rachel and Faith had gone before looking back to Kristen.

"... What the fuck do I do now…?"

* * *

Rachel and Faith managed to get back to the reference room, and they saw that the door in the back had been green. Faith went to the door and with a turn of the knob it opened with a click. "Well we were right." Faith said with relief, "I was worried we would have to go find another trigger."

"Hopefully we won't have to deal with that again." Rachel said.

Faith opened the door and up ahead they saw up ahead the hall had been darkened. There had been no light ahead, as it had been nothing but a dark abyss.

"I can't see anything." Faith said.

Rachel soon looked to one of the shelves nearby and saw something that could be of use to them; A flashlight.

"This might be useful." Rachel said as she took the flashlight from where it sat.

"Huh, where did that come from?" Faith wondered.

Rachel got the flashlight on and walked ahead lighting the way. Faith stayed in close proximity of Rachel as they proceeded foward. Eventually they had reached what appeared to be some sort of water pump room, judging from the controls they had seen with the help of the light. They saw there was more pools of water though it had a smell to it.

"You gotta admit something…" Faith said, "... Whoever is the resident of this floor, really took their time and effort to take care of all of this."

Rachel nodded in agreement before she noticed something in the shadows; she shined the flashlight towards it and saw it was another letter with an orange flower. "Another one of these?" Faith said as her body picked it up started to read what was written on it.

" _There is nothing to worry about. You and I want the same thing_."

Faith couldn't help but look to the letter curiously, as she looked to Rachel, "Hey, you don't think that this person means…"

The two of them jumped slightly when they heard the sound of a child's laughter again. "Who's there?" Rachel said as she looked around the room.

"I don't like this." Faith said fearfully as the giggles continued.

Whoever had been laughing, soon spoke up. "Hey Rachel?" The voice said, "I'm going to grant your wish for you. But I have a wish of my own."

The light in Rachel's hand had soon gone out, taking the two of them by surprise.

"Yeah _,_ I _**REALLY**_ don't like this _._ " Faith said as she shrunk a little.

"Let's call Kristen." Rachel suggested as she quickly got the walkie out of her messenger bag. She got the walkie on but they were met with static. She pressed the button provided, "Kristen, can you hear me?" Rachel and Faith soon noticed that when she tried to speak into it, the static seemed to have continued.

"I can't get through." Rachel said to Faith as she let go of the button.

"Something on this floor must be blocking the signal!" Faith quickly concluded with panic in her voice.

The voice soon spoke to them again, "I'd like you to entrust yourself to me. Mutual love is great, don't you agree? I understand you well. You want to die, right? So… _**Tell me yes**_."

Rachel flinched when she heard a bang sound just next to her, that quickly followed with a thud.

"Faith?"

She didn't realize the fact that Faith was on the ground at the moment unconscious by whatever had hit her. Just as she was about to check on her, her body froze when she realized someone had been behind her.

"We finally meet Rachel." He said cheerfully, "My name is Eddie. Sorry about knocking out your friend, but I wanted to talk to you alone."

Rachel turned to the boy named Eddie as she backed up a little. "Don't be afraid." Eddie said gently; Rachel realized that he was next to her and got distance between herself and Eddie quickly putting together that he can see despite the fact that the lights were off.

"I won't try to kill you or your friends out of the blue like the others do." Eddie continued, "Especially that Zack guy. He's so messy when he kills people. He has no aesthetic at all. Don't worry, I know you and your friends very well. I know what happened between Faith and her older brother, what Kristen's life was like before she was framed for that terrible crime. I know what happened to your mom and dad and what happened, to everyone else around you. I even know about the relationship with you and the person you _**cherish**_ most."

"Do you really?" Rachel asked as she was intrigued by this.

"Yep!" Eddie replied, "So there's nothing for you and your friends to worry about."

"Than…" Rachel soon said, "... Can you tell me, why I'm here? Why Faith, her brother and Kristen were brought here? And what do you mean by a person I cherish?"

Eddie seemed confused by this, "Do you guys not remember?"

Rachel nodded her head in reply.

"Well, if you don't remember than that's fine." He said, brushing it off.

"What do you-"

"More importantly, I can give you and your friends a painless death, and I can even make a perfect grave for the three of you! I'll make your wish come true, and the best part is, if you want to, I can give them a peaceful death too! It's a win win set for all of you!"

Rachel looked down at her feet at this, as if she had been giving thought to what he was saying, if he had been telling the truth or not. "What's wrong?" Eddie soon asked legimently worried as to when she didn't answer right away, "Why aren't you saying anything?" He stepped forward a little causing her to back up.

"Come on, please Rachel… _**Just tell me yes.**_ "

* * *

 _Thunder continued to roar across the skies as the child tried her best to move. She didn't know how or why, but she found herself in a different location of the house. She couldn't tell where as her vision had still been weak; the energy in her still fleeting. The view of the clouds and rain became more clear, but only by a little._

 _Though only difference had been, instead of her being on a cold hard floor, she found herself on something rough, yet soft texture, underneath a blanket that didn't cover her body entirely, but was enough to keep her warm._

 _She still struggled to keep herself awake, as her vision tried to clear up. She didn't even know there was someone beside her; she only only seemed to know when she felt water poured into her mouth, and it dripped down her chin._

 _She looked up to whoever it had been, yet, she still couldn't tell who this person was, or this person's gender._

 _She coughed a little causing some of the water to onto the ground. Though she still breathe hoarsely it sounded a little better after a couple of sips. Soon enough the person who had been by her side, took out what looked to be bread._

 _Breaking off only but a small piece, the person went to place it in her mouth._

" _Eat." She heard the person say; their voice sounding a bit distorted to her ears._

 _The child tried her best to chew on the piece of bread, though she didn't have enough energy to do so as the piece fell out of her mouth. She couldn't really speak as she let out a groan as if to apologize to whoever it had been._

 _Whoever it had been let out a sigh, as the person took the bread before the person popped it into their mouth._

 _If the child had energy at the moment, she would've been very surprised when she felt the person's lips connect with her own with the piece of bread still in their mouth._

* * *

Kristen started to come too, as she soon found herself back on floor B4. She felt her eyes a bit itchy from her tears, as she went to rub them.

"What… What was that…?" She said as she touched her lips lightly.

Kristen soon came to realize that she wasn't on the ground she instead found herself against something surprisingly warm.

"Wait, what…?" She said confused.

"Hey, are you finally up Red Eyes?"

Kristen flinched slightly at the sound someone familiar. She looked above and jumped when she saw Zack, staring down at her. She turned red a little when she realized that Zack had her in his arms as he had been sitting on the floor with his legs crossed.

She let out a scream as she scrambled out of his grip,slapping his face making him fall over on his back.

" **WHAT THE FUCK!?** " Zack shouted, " **WHY DID YOU HIT ME!?** "

" **WHAT DO YOU MEAN, WHY DID I HIT YOU!? THAT SHOULD'VE BEEN OBVIOUS ASSHOLE!** " Kristen yelled back, as her face was red, before putting her arms over her chest, " **WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING YOU PERVERT!?** "

" **HEY!** " Zack shouted, " **I'M NOT CRAZY ENOUGH TO DO THAT KIND OF SHIT WHEN SOMEONE'S UNCONSCIOUS! IT'S SICK!** "

" **SAYS THE SERIAL KILLER!** "

" **ASSAULTING AND KILLING ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS YA KNOW!?** "

" **ARE YOU SURE YOU'RE NOT MAKING THAT UP!?** "

" **DO I NEED TO KEEP REPEATING MYSELF TO YOU!?** "

Kristen let out a sigh as she brought her arms to her side as she stood up from the floor, brushing herself off. "Seriously though, what happened?" Kristen asked as Zack stood from the floor, "All I remember was we were talking and the lights suddenly…" She stopped herself as shievered, before she picked up the sentence, "... Went out."

"That little shit, Eddie I think was his name came by here after the lights turned off." Zack explained, "My guess is, he's in charge of this floor. You started to say weird stuff even after the lights came back on and I couldn't get you to snap out of it. I didn't know what else to do, so I grabbed onto you and you fell asleep in my arms shortly after you stopped crying."

Kristen had been taken by this as she noticed Zack avoided looking to her; honestly she was surprised he would do something like that for her. She couldn't tell the look he was making, though she brushed at the thought of the person on the floor with them. The person named Eddie.

"Where did this Eddie guy go?" Kristen asked.

"That's the problem I was trying to tell you while you were busy having your mental breakdown!" Zack told her, as he picked up his scythe and finally turned back to her, "He went after those two to kill that creepy little girl!"

Kristen's eyes widened at this at the thought of Rachel and Faith's safety.

"Oh my God!" She exclaimed as her eyes were widened in horror and realization. She quickly ran to where she put the walkie earlier and got it on.

"Rachel! Faith!" She said as soon as she flipped the switch, "Can you two hear me!? You have to come back now!"

When she let go of the button, her panic rose a little when all she heard was static.

"Something's wrong!" She told Zack, "I can't get through to them!"

Zack clicked his tongue and ran towards the gap before he yelled, " **FOUR EYES! BRAT! GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!** "

His voice echoed through the hall, though they didn't get a response. "Damn it, they can't hear me either." Zack said.

"They must be too far in to hear us!" Kristen said as she clenched her head, "Fuck! Think! Think damn it!"

"That little grave-digging bastard!" Zack cursed, "Is he trying to one up me? I can't have that little bitch dying on me yet!"

Kristen let out an annoyed groan as she couldn't come up with a good idea; right now she had fear, the kind of fear for someone else. "We gotta get to them!" She said to Zack with panic in her voice, "They could be in danger!"

"Calm down will ya!" He told her, "Just think of a way to-"

Zack soon stopped himself when his eyes widened in realization, which Kristen quickly took notice. "What?" She said, "What is it?"

"That girl…" Zack soon said, "... She said there was a room inside and to the right didn't she?"

Kristen looked to him surprised before she responded, "Yes! She did say that!"

"Than what are we doing standing here!?" Zack told her, "Grab your gun and let's get moving!"

Zack ran ahead of her before Kristen could react; she was able to recover quick as she quickly grabbed ahold of her gun and hoodie, before she went to follow his lead.

* * *

Rachel continued to back up till she hit a wall as Eddie approached her, though Eddie surprisingly maintained his distance. "What's there to be unsure of?" Eddie asked sounding patient, "Come on, try saying your wish out loud."

Rachel looked to the ground again as her expression softened a little.

"I want to die." She said.

"See?" He said, "I knew it! I'll be the one to kill you and your friends if you want… So just say yes."

Though her expression bared no life, Rachel looked unsure by what he had been asking of her. She began to give it some thought as she had felt conflicted about it all.

"Oh!" Eddie soon groaned, "This is so infuriating! Is it because of that guy Zack?"

Rachel seemed to have flinched at that as she looked to the boy. "Why are you guys with him anyway?"

"Because he…" Rachel began to say, "... He said he would help Kristen and Faith to escape and… He promised he would kill me."

Eddie gave it thought, "Well, I don't know about escaping, but… If you want to die, I'll kill you in his place."

"He won't be able to get out of here otherwise if all three of us aren't together."

"That's not a problem at all! Who cares what happens to a guy like him?"

"Still…"

They were soon drawn to the sound of knocking behind the wall as they couldn't help but find it odd. Than a familiar voice came through it.

"Rachel! Faith! Are you two in there!? One of you answer me!"

"Kristen?" Rachel said as she turned her head to where she heard her voice.

"Oh, she recovered from her shock." Eddie said.

A second voice soon came through the wall.

" **FOUR EYES! LITTLE MISS HORROR SHOW! YOU'RE BOTH IN THERE SOMEWHERE AREN'T YOU!?** "

Of course, the two of them recognized this voice to be Zack, much to Eddie's dismay.

"Ugh… Why did she have to bring him with her? His voice is absolutely grating." Eddie mumbled before he said to Rachel, "Anyway, you pick! Do you want me to kill you or him?"

Rachel felt conflicted again as she started to think as Eddie got on one knee, holding his hand to her.

"My beloved Rachel…" He said, "... For you… I'll give you a beautiful place to rest. All you have to do… _**Is say yes**_."

The child still gave it some thought as she considered what he had been offering to her. She wished for Faith and Kristen to go free, and she knew if she died, the person who had promised her death would most likely lose his chance if she suddenly passed on. Yet what this boy promised her a peaceful death, a place where she could rest eternally.

In that moment, she thought of her decision. The letter she had been holding from him fell out of her hand as she reached out to Eddie, bringing joy in his eyes as he smiled underneath his mask.

" **RACHEL!** " Kristen soon yelled from the otherside making her stop, " **DON'T LISTEN TO WHAT HE'S OFFERING TO YOU! I TOLD YOU I'D RETURN THE FAVOR TO YOU DIDN'T I?! HOW CAN I DO THAT IF YOU WERE TO DIE HERE AND NOW!?** "

"Kristen…" Rachel said sensing the panic and worry in her voice.

"Don't worry okay?" Eddie soon spoke up, "I promise I won't make her death hurt."

" **THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT!** " She yelled.

Soon Zack spoke up through the wall.

" **YOUR CALL AT AESTHETIC IS PRETTY DAMN VAGUE!** " He shouted, " **YOU'RE SERIOUSLY GONNA KILL SOMEONE WITH THAT BORING LOOK! ARE YOU A MORON!?** "

Eddie felt annoyed by the sound of his voice. "Keep it down will you?" He said, "I'm talking to Rachel right no-"

" **I WASN'T TALKING TO YOU, YOU GRAVE DIGGING BASTARD!** " He yelled cutting him off, " **HEY! YOU CAN HEAR ME CAN'T YOU!?** "

"Do you mean me?" Rachel asked.

" **WHO ELSE WOULD I BE REFERRING TO!?** " He shouted, " **DON'T THINK I'M GONNA LET YOU OR THE OTHER TWO GO OFF AND DIE! THERE ARE ALOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA WANT TO KILL YOU! BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE THAT I'M GONNA BE THE ONE TO KILL YOU WHEN THE TIME COMES!** "

Rachel at first didn't seem to have been interested as she only thought she had to be useful however, only four words from him, made up whatever she had been thinking.

" _ **I swear to God**_."

( _ **Ending Theme: Angels of Death Ending Theme-Pray Performed By Haruka Chisuga**_ )


	8. Chapter 8: An Oath To God

( _ **Opening Theme: Shiki Opening 1-Kiss Performed By BUCK-TICK**_ )

"That girl…" Zack soon said, "... She said there was a room inside and to the right didn't she?"

Kristen looked to him surprised before she responded, "Yes! She did say that!"

"Than what are we doing standing here!?" Zack told her, "Grab your gun and let's get moving!"

Zack ran ahead of her before Kristen could react; she was able to recover quick as she quickly grabbed ahold of her gun and hoodie, before she went to follow his lead. She managed to get on her holster and hoodie as she caught up to him down the halls.

Eventually they managed to reach the room, that had been filled with some sort of blue light, due to the water that been within, only to find that it had been a dead end.

"Crap!" Zack said looking around, "What are we supposed to do now!? There ain't a door in here!"

"Shit!" Kristen cursed as she looked around the room, "There's gotta be a way we can get to-"

Kristen stopped herself when she heard the sound of faint voices, one sounded familiar.

"He won't be able to get out of here otherwise if all three of us aren't together."

"Rachel!" She exclaimed, getting Zack's attention, "Where is it coming-"

Kristen was quick to come to the conclusion that the voices had been coming from the wall just up ahead as she noticed it had been partly damaged. She ran towards it, immediately knocking against it.

"Rachel! Faith!" Kristen yelled as she did this, "Are you two in there!? One of you answer me!"

"... Kristen?" She heard her say faintly, bringing a wave of relief to her.

" _Thank God._ " She couldn't help but think.

Zack soon ran towards to where she had been and gave a knock on the wall like she did before he shouted, " **FOUR EYES! LITTLE MISS HORROR SHOW! YOU'RE BOTH IN THERE SOMEWHERE RIGHT!?** "

"Ugh… Why did she have to bring him with her?" She heard another voice say.

"It's a kid?" Kristen said surprised before it had finally sunk in, "Jesus Christ it's a kid!"

"So what?" Zack said to her.

"What do you mean so what?!" She said to him angryily, "It's a fucking kid!"

"Yeah it's a fucking kid that wants to kill her!"

"Even so-"

They soon heard the the boy by the name of Eddie say through the wall, "... Do you want him to kill you, or me?"

Kristen's eyes widened at this. This kid, she could only assume to be Eddie was offering her to kill her! That was crazy! She couldn't even consider that offer, now could she?

"My beloved Rachel…" She heard him say, "... For you… I'll give you a beautiful place to rest. All you have to do… _**Is say yes**_ _._ "

" _No! She can't-!_ "

Though Kristen couldn't see what was going on, she could almost swear she knew what was going on through her head right now. The fact that Rachel was even considering his offer right now was what had really her worried. She knew that she had to say something right now, she had to at least say something.

She quickly went to bang on the wall.

" **RACHEL!** " She called out, " **DON'T LISTEN TO WHATEVER HE'S OFFERING TO YOU! I TOLD YOU I'D RETURN THE FAVOR TO YOU DIDN'T I!? HOW CAN I DO THAT IF YOU WERE TO DIE HERE AND NOW!?** "

"Don't worry, okay?" She heard Eddie speak up, "I promise I won't make her death hurt."

 _No, that's wrong_.

" **THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT!** " Kristen shouted.

 _Rachel please… You can't do this. You can't die here! If you were to die-_

Kristen was about to take another crack at it, but before she could, Zack stepped forward and banged on the wall again.

" **YOUR CALL AT AESTHETIC IS PRETTY DAMN VAGUE!** " Zack shouted, " **YOU'RE SERIOUSLY GONNA KILL SOMEONE WITH THAT BORING LOOK! ARE YOU MORON!?** "

"Zack?" Kristen had said surprised.

"Keep it down will you?" She heard Eddie say, "I'm talking to Rachel right no-"

" **I WASN'T TALKING TO YOU!** " Zack shouted cutting him off, " **HEY! YOU CAN HEAR ME IN THERE CAN'T YOU!?** "

"Do you mean me?" She heard Rachel say.

" **WHO ELSE WOULD I BE REFERRING TO!?** " He yelled, " **DON'T THINK I'M GONNA LET YOU OR THE OTHER TWO GO OFF AND DIE! THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA WANT TO KILL YOU! BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE! THAT I'M GONNA BE THE ONE TO KILL YOU WHEN THE TIME COMES!** "

Though Kristen had been surprised by what Zack had been saying, she had no idea if he had been getting through to her not. Though little did she know that only that four simple words would change her mind completely without question or doubt.

" _ **I swear to God**_."

On the other side of the wall, a ring seemed to go off in Rachel's head; for a moment an image passed her by, an image of a full blue moon high in the sky, and a simple turn of a page as before her very eyes she saw her answer.

"You swear…" Rachel started to say, "... To God…?"

"Yeah, that's right." Zack soon told her, knowing that she had been talking to him, "So… Don't you dare, let anyone else kill you!"

Once more there was silence, as if Rachel had taken a moment to process what Zack had been saying. Now had been a good time to step in for her, is what she thought. "Rachel?" She started to say, "You should know that I don't approve of what your wishing for but… Whatever the case… You have to continue to live, even if only for a moment. Your safety is all that matters to me, and I want you to stay alive. You understand… Don't you sweetheart?"

Another ring seemed to have go off in Rachel's head at Kristen's words; though the image in her head came too quick for her to see, as she couldn't help but ponder as to what it could be. Even though Kristen had been a stranger, she trusted her… More than anything else, yet she had no idea why.

"I… Understand." Rachel soon said putting her forehead against the wall, bringing relief to the young woman.

"Thank you." Kristen said softly doing the same as the child.

"Mister!" The child's voice soon said, "Try to hit this section of the wall as hard as you can!"

Zack cracked a smile as he readied his scythe while he got in a stance. "Step back Red Eyes!" He told her.

Kristen nodded her head and quickly got out of the way. With one hard swing the wall had shattered, creating an opening between them and Rachel, who had been standing back a few inches as to not get hit by the debris. Once the dust had settled, Zack had been the first to step through the now open entryway as he still had a smile plastered on his bandaged face.

"Hey." He said as he had his scythe over his shoulder.

At the sight of Zack, she couldn't help but give a small smile, which Zack himself could almost swear he saw. The thought had soon been lost when Kristen stepped in.

"Rachel!" She cried out before she threw her arms around the young girl, "Thank goodness you're alright! I was so scared!"

Rachel couldn't help but lean onto her shoulder as she hugged her back, giving her a pat. "I'm sorry…" Rachel said to her softly.

"It's alright." Kristen said, gently pushing her out of the hug gently, "What matters is your alright."

"Where's the Four-Eyes?" Zack soon asked, "I could've sworn she went with you back here."

Rachel's eyes widened slightly, "That's right. Faith. She was-"

"Why, Rachel?"

The three of them were startled a bit when Eddie's voice echoed within the room, as they had just now realized that he had disappeared; Zack quickly went to look around, while Kristen stayed in the light with Rachel.

"Where did that little shit go?" He said as he had his scythe ready.

"There wouldn't be any problem with me killing you." Eddie said, his voice bouncing off of the walls.

"Moron!" Zack said, "There's a shitload of problems with that!"

"We couldn't just let you kill her!" Kristen yelled.

"You're such a savage." Eddie said, "You'd do such an ugly job."

"Shut your mouth!" Zack yelled.

"Eddie please!" Kristen pleaded with him, "Maybe we can come to an understanding! I don't want to have to hurt you or anything!"

" **ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!?** " Zack yelled to her angrily.

Eddie stayed silent for a few moments, before he spoke again, "Rachel… Do you really want to be killed by him? He'll make a mess of things. It's better if I do it."

" **QUIT YOUR DAMN YAPPING!** " Zack shouted, " **GET OUT HERE!** **I'LL KILL YOU!** "

"Zack, he's just a kid!" Kristen told him, "Don't threaten to kill him!"

" **ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS RIGHT NOW!?** " He yelled at her, " **HE'S CRAZIER THAN YOU, YOU KNOW THAT!** "

" **THAT DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT HE'S A KID LIKE HER!** " She shouted while pointing at Rachel.

"Rachel…" Eddie said, "... I'll be the one to kill you… I'll kill the other two if that's what you want… So… I'll wait for you, okay?"

Just like that, the lights turned on with a click, making the room light up after they heard what sounded to be a door. Their surroundings became more clear, and they soon noticed Faith on the ground, not too far from them.

"Four-Eyes!" Zack exclaimed.

Rachel, Zack and Kristen ran towards her, before Kristen flipped her onto her back only now realizing that her glasses were missing.

"Faith!" Kristen said as she shook her a little.

"Shit, is she dead?" Zack asked.

"No." Rachel told him, "Eddie told me, he knocked her out."

"So she's unconscious?" Zack asked.

"Well, it's better than killed." Kristen told him.

She soon let out a groan, and they saw as she opened her eyes. She sat up as she rubbed the back of her head, "Ow… My head…" She said as she sat up, "What happened…?"

"Eddie hit you with a shovel." Rachel replied bluntly.

"Who's Eddie?" Faith said as she squinted a little, "And where's my glasses?"

"He's the master of this floor." Kristen replied, helping Faith to stand up, "You sure you're okay?"

"Ye-yeah, other than the headache." Faith replied as she put her hand in front of her and leaned on Kristen's shoulder, "You're all here right?"

"Can't you see us?" Rachel asked tilting her head a little.

"No." Faith replied, "I'm pretty much blind without my glasses. Does anyone see them? I think they fall off when I was hit."

"What are you fucking 85!?" Zack yelled.

Kristen couldn't help but glare before she said, "Enough with the cursing already!"

Zack growled mumbling something incoherent before he noticed a familiar cracked lens on the concrete floor. He picked them up before he shoved them onto Faith's face making her squeak a little as she backed up from the force. "Keep a better eye on your crap." Zack said to her in a pissed off tone of voice.

"What crawled up and died in your head?" Kristen asked.

"You wanna know why I'm pissed off right now!?" Zack yelled before he pointed over to Rachel and Faith, "It's because of these two knuckleheads!"

Kristen glanced over to Faith and Rachel; both of them as confused as she was. She soon turned back to him, " **WHAT IN THE HELL DID THEY DO WRONG!?** "

" **WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHAT DID THEY DO WRONG!?** " Zack shouted, " **YOU, I KNOW YOU HAVE A FIGHTING CHANCE AT LEAST, BUT THESE TWO BRATS ARE WEAK AS HELL! IF ANYTHING THEY'RE GONNA END UP DEAD, EVEN IF I DON'T KILL THIS BITCH!** "

Of course, Zack had been referring to Rachel at the last part; Faith however looked a bit offended. "Seriously man?" Faith said as she sniffled a little fixing up her glasses, "I know I can't fight, but that still hurts."

" **WELL GET OVER IT, CAUSE IT'S THE TRUTH FOUR EYES!** " Zack couldn't help but yell in her face, which Faith couldn't help but feel startled by. Kristen immediately pulled him away, though she was being rough as he cringed.

" **HAVEN'T YOU EVER HEARD OF PERSONAL SPACE YOU DAMN MUMMY!?** " Kristen yelled.

" **WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU CALLING MUMMY YOU FAT ASS C-!** " Zack shouted back.

Kristen hit Zack on the head again cutting him off mid sentence.

" **FIRST OF ALL, STOP THE CURSING!** " She exclaimed, " **AND SECOND, HOW DARE YOU CALL ME FAT AGAIN YOU GHOUL LOOKING BADDIE!** "

" **OH YOU'RE JUST ASKING FOR ME TO KILL YOU NOW YOU RED EYE BITCH!** " He shouted.

" **YOU'RE ASKING FOR A DEATH WISH YOURSELF IF YOU KEEP CALLING ME FAT!** "

" **TITS ON CHRIST, TO THINK I ACTUALLY FELT SORRY FOR YOUR FAT ASS!** "

" **THAT'S MY LINE! I CAN'T BELIEVE I ACTUALLY TOLD YOU MY NAME!** "

" **WHEN DID YOU EVEN DO THAT!?** "

" **DID YOU SERIOUSLY FORGET AGAIN!?** "

Once again, Faith and Rachel found themselves in an awkward position as they watched the two of them argue; the atmosphere changed again, one word after another. "Um…? Guys…?" Faith said, though it didn't look as though they didn't hear her, "... You really should stop, otherwise you might end up killing each other for real."

That part they did seem to hear.

" **I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO KILL THIS BITCH FOR BEING SO GODDAMN ANNOYING!** " Zack yelled.

" **YOU BETTER NOT YOU MUMMIFIED JERK!** " Kristen shouted.

" **WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT CALLING ME A MUMMY!?** " He exclaimed, as he readied his scythe.

Finally, Rachel took a deep breath and spoke, drawing the attention on her, "I'm sorry for making you two worry about me. I'll do better next time."

"That better be the truth brat!" Zack said stepping towards her, "Like I told you earlier, if you wanna die so badly than you had better make yourself useful first!"

"If I'm useful to you…" Rachel soon said, "... Than you'll kill me, right?"

"That's what I've been telling you isn't it?" He replied.

The atmosphere seemed to have changed again as Kristen and Faith stayed silent at this, as they didn't know what they should say at that point. After but a moment, they saw her expression change.

"Just a minute ago…" Rachel began to say as she stepped forward, towards Zack causing him to back up from her as she continued startling Kristen and Faith, "...You said 'I swear to God.' Those were exact words. 'I swear to God'. Yeah, to God. You said you swore to God!"

Rachel suddenly grabbed onto Zack's hoodie, taking all of them by surprise. She looked as though she had been holding him in desperation of something; they could've sworn that her demeanor changed drastically by what she was saying.

"Rachel…?" Faith said a little worried.

"Kiddo?" Kristen soon spoke, as she reached out to her, "... Are you-"

"You heard it too didn't you?" Rachel asked as she turned to Kristen, "You heard him say those words didn't you?"

Kristen had been taken back, as she retracted her hand a little before she replied, "I did but-"

"Will you really do it?" Rachel asked as she turned back to Zack, cutting her off again, "Do you really swear to God… That you'll do it? Will you swear to God… _**That you'll kill me**_ …?"

Once more there was silence among them as they were just left speechless at this point. No one knew what to say or do at that point. Zack on the other hand had something to say.

"You never know when to give up do you…?" They heard him say.

Zack pried Rachel's hands off of him, before he shoved her over to a wall, startling them.

"Didn't I already tell you!?" He shouted before slamming his hand right beside Rachel's head, making them all jump, " **I REALLY HATE LIARS!"** Silence overcame the room once more as the rest of the group had been just baffled by what had just happened. Faith, however was bit confused by this kind of outcome.

"Did… I miss something?" She asked Kristen.

"Long story." Kristen replied as she had still been speechless. More particularly she was speechless by the way Rachel had acted just now, as she looked to the killer. She couldn't help but ponder a thought as she looked to Rachel.

" _Her eyes looked different just now…_ " Kristen thought to herself, "... _I wonder…"_

"Okay." They heard Rachel say, "I'll do my best to be useful to you."

Zack let out a sigh as he removed himself from her, "As long as you get it."

Kristen and Faith couldn't help but sigh, it was almost as if they were holding to their breath. "So, what's our next move?" Zack asked.

"Before…" Kristen soon said, "... A door opened earlier. Meaning it has to be in here." Kristen started to look around, feeling the wall for anything.

"You think it could lead us to the exit of this floor?" Faith asked.

"It better!" Zack said, "Cause I'm getting sick and tired of this crap!"

"That Eddie kid…" Rachel soon said, "... He said… He would be waiting for me."

They all gave the child a look; Kristen and Faith had worry while Zack's expression was neutral. "Is that right?" He said.

"Hey, I found it!" Kristen soon called out. They looked and saw that Kristen pushed in what looked to be a loose brick. She pushed it, and it let out a click, before she had pushed it open, revealing another passageway.

"Great!" Zack said, before he took the lead, "Let's get moving and get off this floor."

None of them hesitated as they followed behind him; Rachel and Faith walked just behind him, while Kristen kept herself in the back. She couldn't help but think back to what had happened earlier, what Zack did for her. She knew he said, he didn't care about her, so why would he go out of his way to help her?

She couldn't really remember what happened when the room turned dark. All she could go by was what Zack told her. She didn't know if she could believe or if she wanted to. She just couldn't imagine Zack being a serial killer that he is, go out of his way to comfort somebody.

"I smell dirt again." Faith soon said.

"Don't tell me we're gonna find another cemetery again." Zack said annoyed.

"Probably." Rachel replied.

"Don't even _**THINK**_ about jumping into an open one." Zack soon said as he turned to Rachel, "You got it?"

"I already told you." She said, "I won't kill myself."

He laughed to himself, "Right you did say that."

"That's not really something to laugh at you know." Faith mumbled.

Zack soon looked over to Kristen in the back, noticing that she had been strangely quiet. "Hey Red Eyes!" He called out, "Cat got your tongue?"

"Huh?" Kristen said, seemingly snapping out of her own thoughts, "Oh no, I'm just thinking."

"Thinking?" He asked as he gave a quizzical look, "About what?"

Kristen stayed silent for a moment before she looked to Rachel and Faith. She stepped towards Zack, "Can I talk to you privately?"

"Where? We're in a hallway you know." He told her.

"It'll be quick." Kristen said, "You two don't mind do you?"

Faith and Rachel shook their heads. "I think we could use a break anyway." Faith said, "Right?"

Rachel nodded in agreement, "You two can take your time, we'll just wait until your ready."

Kristen nodded and started to lead Zack down the hallway while Rachel and Faith made themselves comfortable. They were just out of earshot as Zack leaned back against the wall while he set aside his scythe.

"Okay, I'll bite, what is this about?" Zack soon asked her.

"... I think you know what it is." Kristen said.

"Not really." He replied with a shrug.

Kristen sighed, "I'll spell it out for you. You told me that you didn't care about me… And yet you went out of your way to… Comfort me."

Zack let out a sigh, "We're seriously gonna talk about this? Why?"

"Because it's been bothering me, that's why." She said, "You're supposed to be a serial killer, and basically be a sociopath, and yet you went out of your to help me. You could've left me behind and gone after Rachel and Faith, but you didn't."

"You trying to get to a point?"

"... I want to know why… Why did you decide to help me?"

Zack stayed silent at this as he started to ponder. Now that he thought about it… Why did he help her? Why did he decide to stay with her? Why did he decide to do that for someone like her? A person he already admitted he didn't care for her. So why did he do it? As he looked to her again he could've sworn he heard a ring go off in his head; an image passed him by that seemed unclear.

He shook it off before he gave her his reply.

"I couldn't have you going crazy on me." He said, "It's bad enough that I got that kid over there begging me to kill her, but you were starting to talk like you were high on drugs when the lights gone out. If I had one of you die on me and lose your mind, than it'll be the down the toilet with me escaping and all that shit. You get the drill Red Eyes."

Kristen looked to the ground at this, she knew he had been telling her the truth, though she still couldn't help but have her doubts about his words as she pondered and pondered. Zack noticed the silence before he spoke up again.

"What is your deal with the dark anyway?" He asked, causing her to flinch, "That's like a five year old fear."

Kristen started to stammer a little as she try to get her words together. Her body shook a little at the thought of it all. "I-" She started to say, "-I'd rather not talk about."

Zack gave her a quizzical look, "I answered your questions, so why won't answer any of mine!?"

"Because, most of it is personal." Kristen said, "And I'd rather not get into it right now."

Once again Zack stayed silent as he saw the look on her face. He saw that she had a sad look in her red eyes. He didn't know why he wanted to know though in that moment, for some strange reason… He didn't want to pry.

"Whatever. Let's just get moving." Zack said before he started to walk back down the hall, "I can't believe I wasted my time with this."

Kristen watched as he walked forward letting the two girls know that they were going to start walking again. Still with the expression on her face she started to walk down until she had been perplexed to hear…

The sound of giggles?

She turned behind her but soon realized no one had been there. From the sound of it, the voice didn't belong to the floor master Eddie. It was unfamiliar to her… Or was it? In the darkness of the hall she could've sworn, someone… Had been there.

" **RED EYES!** " She soon heard Zack call out, " **GET YOUR ASS MOVING!** "

" **OH HOLD YOUR HORSES I'M COMING!** " Kristen shouted before she went to catch up. They resumed their walking nearly getting to the end of it. "What were guys talking about before?" Rachel soon asked.

"It's… Nothing important." Kristen replied giving her a small smile.

"Really?" Faith said not exactly buying it, "It looked like it was important."

Kristen was about to retort, but had soon been drawn to the sound of water. They soon found themselves in a room which what looked to be a reservoir. The smell of dirt had been stronger on their noses.

"What is this place?" Faith wondered aloud noticing the field of grass that had been up the stairs, "A garden?"

"Looks like." Rachel replied.

"Hey…" Zack soon said to the three of them, "... What did you say your names were?"

They had been taken back at this. "Your names." Zack soon said, "You guys got on don't you?"

The three of them looked to one another before Kristen had been the first to respond.

"Like I told you, it's Kristen Waterson." She said.

"My name is Faith." Faith added sounding a bit hesitant this time, "Just Faith."

"Rachel Gardner." Rachel finished.

Zack smiled, "I'm keeping you three alive so you can have a chance to be useful… But it's been a real pain in my else having you around."

Zack got his scythe ready and Kristen put Rachel and Faith behind her just as they heard footsteps coming towards them. Of course the footsteps belonged the master of B4, Eddie.

"Hey." He said sounding cheerfully, "We meet again.

( _ **Ending Theme: Angels of Death Ending Theme-Pray Performed By Haruka Chisuga**_ )


	9. Chapter 9: Differences

( _ **Opening Theme: Shiki Opening 1-Kiss Performed By BUCK-TICK**_ )

Kristen couldn't believe the floor master that stood before them. He was just a little kid, no older than Rachel. She still couldn't believe that a kid like him was the master of this floor. Yet he stood before them, just ready to kill them like Zack had been. Eddie held onto his shovel as he soon looked to Rachel; his eyes softening under his mask.

"Rachel…" He started to say, "... Is there no way I can be good enough?"

Kristen and Faith looked to Rachel, as if they had been expecting her to answer. None were surprised as she had stayed silent.

"Do you three know about him?" Eddie continued, "He has no interest in beauty at all. He was worthless in the past too."

"That's a bit harsh isn't it?" Faith asked.

"We read it in his profile." Rachel had eventually replied.

"Then why choose him?" He asked, "I could kill you too, and your friends!"

Zack looked annoyed, "Get out of the way you little shit!"

"Zack don't!" Kristen said, putting her hand in front of him, "Look, Eddie right? You don't have to kill anybody okay? I don't want to have to hurt you so-"

"You cannot be fucking serious right now…" She heard Zack say, "... **ARE YOU SERIOUSLY DOING THIS RIGHT NOW!?** "

" **WELL IT'S BETTER THAN HURTING HIM!** " Kristen yelled.

" **HE JUST SAID THAT HE WANTS TO KILL THE BRAT AND BY EXTENSION YOU!** "

" **IT DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT HE'S STILL A KID!** "

"Are you two seriously arguing now!?" Faith exclaimed.

Rachel soon stepped forward, "This person swore to God that he would kill me. That alone is everything to me."

Eddie tilted his head a little, "What is God anyway?" He said, "It doesn't make sense. I don't believe in-" He stopped himself as he turned to the floor tightening his hold on his shovel, "-God never told me anything like that. That kind of freedom doesn't exist here. We're not allowed to just do as we please. The only thing we've been given is the right to kill those who come onto our floor…" Through the mask they saw the look in his eye, "And… _**This is my floor.**_ "

Faith's expression couldn't help but soften a little, "Eddie…"

"It doesn't have to be that way!" Kristen told him, "Please. There has to be a better way."

Eddie let out a sigh, "That all depends on Rachel's answer." He turned to her, "Will you reconsider?"

Rachel soon stepped forward, Kristen and Faith looking worried on what Rachel would answer. "The one who will kill me… Eddie…" She started to say.

Eddie's eyes brightened a little while Kristen and Faith looked to her worried.

"... _**It isn't you**_."

Relief had washed over them, as they sighed. Eddie however had a different reaction.

"You heard her!" Zack said triumphantly, "Suck on that you little shit!"

"Is that really necessary?" Kristen said as she looked unimpressed by this.

"...You guys…" They heard Eddie say, "... Don't get to make that choice…"

"What's that?" Zack said, putting a hand to his ear, "I can't hear you over all this victor-"

" **YOU GUYS DON'T GET TO MAKE THAT CHOICE!** "

All of them had been taken back when Eddie's tone changed. Kristen could've sworn that she saw tears fall from his face. He slumped over slightly, holding onto his shovel lazily now. "Rachel…" He began, "... I wanted to make sure you died as clean and beautiful as you are now… But… You can relax now."

He picked up his head, and they saw that his look changed once more.

"It's dark, cool and comfortable in the Earth…" He told her, "... Rachel… **I'LL TAKE YOU THERE!** "

Kristen quickly pulled Rachel and Faith behind her as Eddie jump towards them. Before she could do anything to block his shovel, Zack quickly stepped in front of them, using his scythe to protect them; he soon pushed him back.

" **YOU VIOLENT BRUTE!** " Eddie shouted, " **WORTHLESS LOSER!** "

He charged at him, attacking with full force; Zack had been quick to block and counter. " **WHAT YOU'RE DOING AIN'T ANY DIFFERENT!** " Zack shouted. Eddie jumped back again, as he glared at Zack underneath his mask.

" **DON'T COMPARE ME TO YOU!** " The boy exclaimed, " **NO MATTER HOW PHYSICALLY CAPABLE YOU ARE, YOU CAN'T KILL PEOPLE RIGHT BECAUSE YOUR HEAD IS EMPTY, SO YOU THROW YOUR TANTRUM LIKE A CHILD!** "

" **YOU'RE THE ONE THAT'S GETTING ALL WORKED UP!** " Zack argued, " **SEEMS LIKE YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF PENT UP FRUSTRATION FOR A LITTLE KID!** "

" **SHUT UP IDIOT!** "

" **YOU SHUT UP BRAT!** "

" **YOU'RE THE ONE THAT'S THE BRAT!** "

" _What is even happening right now?_ " Kristen and Faith couldn't help but think in unison as they watched the two of them shout more insults.

"The only thing I want is Rachel…" Eddie said, "... Is you! I'll close you and your friends up for eternity beneath a beautiful stone… After I kill you three."

"Eddie!" Kristen once more pleaded, "Please, no one else has to die! You don't have to do this!"

"Seriously Red Eyes!?" Zack shouted, " **SERIOUSLY!?** "

Eddie looked to the woman, as he sighed, "Sorry Kristen… But there is no other way."

Kristen had been about to say something, but was suddenly taken back when the lights within the room had gone out. She felt her body tremble as she already started to sweat. That was when she let out another scream, startling the three of them; she fell to her knees as her hands went to cover her face.

"Kristen?" Rachel said in a worried voice.

"Shit! Not again!" Zack yelled.

"What's happening?!" Faith said, as she heard Kristen begin to hyperventilate, "What's going on?!"

"When the lights went out earlier she did this too!" Zack told them, "She just started to act weird! That damn little shit…"

Rachel reached out to her, "Kristen? Kristen are you-?"

The very moment Rachel's hand touched her shoulder, she felt it get slapped away, as she let out another shriek. "Ge-Get away!" She yelled, "Sta-Stay back!"

"See what I mean!?" He said.

"Kristen…" Rachel said as her eyes softened at the way she acted. They soon heard Eddie's voice echo throughout the room.

"No matter how strong you are…" He said, "... You can't do anything if you can't see."

Zack started to look around, along with Faith; Rachel on the other hand, stayed by Kristen's side, trying her best to calm her down, despite her saying something incoherent to her ears.

"I dig graves in the darkness all the time." Eddie told them, "So I can see just fine in the dark!"

Zack nearly tripped on himself, when he felt something hit him hard; though he managed to steady himself. "Shut up!" He shouted as he swung his scythe, "That didn't hurt a damn bit!"

"How long can you keep the tough guy act?"

"Zack! He's in front!" Faith shouted.

Zack quickly swung his scythe in the direction Faith told him.

"Whoops! Careful there!" Eddie shouted.

He swung around him, causing Eddie to laugh.

"Almost had me!"

Zack groaned in annoyance at this, "You little shit! Where are you!?"

Faith let out a squeak as she felt the tip of his blade go across her face and Rachel jumped; luckily it only got a strain of their hair. "Careful!" Faith told him, "You almost hit us!"

"Can it! I know what I'm doing!" Zack shouted to her.

Rachel turned her attention back to Kristen who had still been hyperventilating; she heard her crying as she did.

"Ple-please… Please don't leave me here…" She whimpered, "Don't leave me here please…"

"Kristen." Rachel said gently, "It's alright. Faith, Zack and I are here. We're not gonna leave."

It didn't appear Kristen had heard her as she continued to cry. Rachel carefully placed her hands on her shoulders, taking care as not to startle her. "Kristen please…" She pleaded softly, despite the dead look in her eyes "... _**We need you**_."

Zack looked to Kristen and saw how she was as Rachel kept on trying to talk to her. His body ended up shaking a little before a solution came to his head. "Hey you two!" He soon called out. The two girls flinched. "Wait, you mean us?" Faith asked confusingly.

"Who the hell else would I be talking to!?" He said, "Make yourselves useful and turn on the lights! There's gotta be a switch in this room somewhere!"

"It's pitch black in here though!" Faith told him, "We can hardly see anything!"

"That's why I'm telling ya to turn on the damn lights!" He told her.

"But Kristen…" Rachel said, "... We can't just-"

"Stop worrying!" Zack told her, "As annoying as Red Eyes is, I'll make sure nothing happens to her! So shut up and go turn on the fucking lights!"

Rachel's eyes widened slightly before she looked to Kristen, as she was still suffering. As much as she wanted to stay by her side, she had to help her in the only way she knew how. She had to get the lights back on, and hope that it would help bring the Kristen she knew back.

"Okay." She said before turning on the flashlight while she stood, "Faith, come on."

"Right!" Faith said before she followed behind her. They both ran towards the staircase ahead; for a moment she looked back to Kristen.

" _I'll come back. I promise._ "

"Rachel, wait!" Eddie exclaimed, as he had been about to go after them. Though he was surprised to see that Zack had stood in his way; he kept his guard up.

" _Can he see me?_ _That's impossible._ "

Zack made his move, and surprisingly he nearly felt the tip of his blade as he had been surprised again.

" _Impressive… I guess that's what they call_ _ **instinct**_ _._ "

As Rachel and Faith reached the top, they quickly started to look around with the light the little light they had available. They looked high and low, along the walls and even on the floor, though they couldn't find any trace of the switch.

Faith said, "There has to be a switch in here to turn on the lights! This doesn't make any sense!"

Rachel started to think, "Your right it doesn't make sense…. Eddie couldn't have turned off the lights if the switch was here."

"Right!?" She said, "From what we've seen so far, he couldn't have run here and back unless-"

Their eyes both widened before they looked to one another. "Faith…" Rachel said, "Are you…?"

"Yeah." Faith said, "I think we both thought of the same thing."

They soon heard the sound of Eddie's laughter, causing the two of them to flinch. Rachel quickly turned off the flashlight and they ran behind a tombstone that had been nearby. They heard footsteps coming towards them, as they, or rather Faith had been holding onto each other, as the sounds came closer and closer to them. They had both been startled when they heard his laughs just over their shoulder; despite their being darkness, they turned and saw no one had been behind them, leaving the two perplexed.

"Wait what…?" Faith said confused, "I thought I…"

Rachel noticed that in front of the tombstone there looked to be a flower bed that rested within a coffin. She moved from the hiding spot to get a closer look. "Rachel, where are you goin?!" Faith whispered, "Come back!"

She leaned over to see the kind of flowers that laid before her. Though all the flowers were ones she recognized, only one stood out. It laid in the center of the coffin, and though it had been dark, she had been perplexed when she saw the color.

" _ **A black rose**_ …?" Rachel wondered aloud as she reached towards it.

"I made it just for you!"

Rachel suddenly felt pain in her stomach as Eddie; she fell to her knees. "Rachel!" Faith cried out as she ran towards her.

"Rachel…" Eddie soon said, "... I'll close you up in that coffin for all eternity. And I'll make your grave even more magnificent than the one he destroyed. So…" He lifted the shovel over his head ready to swing it at her.

"... _**Let me kill you**_."

"Eddie please!" Faith said, "Stop this!"

After she gave Faith a reassuring squeeze, the two were taken back when Rachel suddenly fell forward into the flower bed. Faith had been frozen while Eddie's eyes sparkled underneath his mask.

"You're so beautiful Rachel!" Eddie said, "Now our love can be mutual! I'll make you eternal."

He lifted the shovel over his head again, though before he could do anything Rachel took the flashlight she had been holding and flashed it in his eyes blinding him. Faith quickly charged at Eddie causing him to hit the tombstone behind him, causing him to let go of the shovel and fall into the flower bed in front of him the minute that Rachel moved. As he passed out Rachel saw that a black remote had been beside him.

"That must be it!" Rachel said as she took the switch from his side.

She soon pushed a button and the lights in the room soon turned on. "We were right!" Faith said as her eyes brightened, "He was carrying it the whole time!"

"Yeah…" Rachel said softly, "Thank goodness for that."

"Hey!" They soon heard Zack shouted, "Get back down here!"

Rachel and Faith looked to one another, and quickly ran back down the stairs and towards where Zack had been. He had now been by Kristen's side, having his hand on her shoulder. "Kristen!" Rachel exclaimed as she ran to her.

"The lights are on, so why isn't she calming down?" Faith said worryingly.

"The fuck if I know!" Zack told her, "She did this before too! I'm not sure how to snap her out of it!"

They heard Kristen cry her eyes out as she fell to her side on the floor. Rachel soon stepped forward as she kneeled to her side; she placed both of her hand on her shoulders.

"Do-Don't leave me…" Kristen said, "I can't take it anymore… Please… Please…"

"It's okay Kristen." Rachel said, putting her arms around her neck, "You're okay. You're just having a bad dream. You have to wake up now… Alright?"

The child kept on massaging her back, as she breathed softly doing what she could to get Kristen to calm down. For a brief moment silence, had filled the room; only the sound of Kristen's sobs were heard. Though from what Faith and Zack could see on the sidelines it didn't seem like it had been working.

"Damn it! She's still not coming to!" Zack said impatiently, "Maybe we gotta hit her or something!"

"No, that'll only make it worse." Faith told him, "Maybe she just needs some more reassurance."

"The fuck does that me-"

Zack had been taken back when he saw Faith kneel down and put her arms around the young woman. She started to brush her hair gently as she started to whistle a soft little tune. Zack had been surprised at this as the girls tried to get her to calm down. He saw that she still had been struggling to breath, despite their efforts.

Zack let out a growl as he spit to the side, "Damn it…"

He put his scythe down, and approached them At first he was hesitant, but he had eventually put his arms around the three of them, leaving Rachel and Faith shocked. Though it didn't leave them shocked for long as they continued to give the young woman comfort.

None of them could know exactly what had been going on through her head.

* * *

 _The world around her became more and more clear by the day. Though the clouds still had been covering the night sky. She didn't know how long she had been lying on the old mattress though she could feel herself start to move her fingers. It wasn't much, but it had been progress. Her savior would come again and bearing food and water._

 _True it was only bread, though it had been filling._

 _Her savior would feed her the same way over and over since she couldn't move her mouth no matter how hard she tried._

 _As said, recovery was slow going._

 _She felt her savoirs lips on hers again, as she had been forced to gulp whatever had been their mouth . She had just finished swallowing the bread that was in her savior's hand, as they pulled away; wiping away the saliva that had been on their chin, before doing the same for her. She tried to sit up, like she did many times before only to be gently pushed back down on the mattress._

" _Sleep." The person said, there voice still sounding distorted._

 _She felt a thin blanket, pulled over her body, and soon saw them get up._

 _This kind of thing went on for awhile. Very often so, her savoir would come into the room, give her food, and leave so that she could sleep. Though this time around, she didn't want the person to go. While she did have the blanket, it had still been very cold on most nights. There had been another reason why she wanted them to stay, and that reason had been simple._

 _She didn't want to be left alone._

 _With the little energy she had in her body, she reached out to them, letting out a groan as she did. They stopped and looked to her._

" _Do…" She started to utter, "Don't… Le… Ave… St… Ay… Ple… Ase…"_

 _Her savoir looked to her stunned by this request, but had quickly took notice of her shivering. Eventually her savoir moved again, and she had thought her pleads had been in vain. It had taken her a moment to realize that, the person had just beside her. They made room for themselves, moving her gently. They crawled underneath the blanket and pulled her closer to them._

" _Sleep." They repeated softly, as they closed their eyes._

 _She seemed to have made a small smile and gone to sleep knowing that she wasn't alone._

* * *

Her vision seemed blurry again, as she her breathings began to regulate. . The color seemed to have come back to her. After blinking a couple of times she saw what had surrounded her; or more likely who had surrounded her. She was surprised to see that Rachel, Faith, and even Zack was surrounding her. She just looked to them surprised just as they broke out of the embrace.

"Kristen?" Rachel said, her voice sounding a little worried.

Kristen noticed the looks that they had been giving her.

"What?" She soon asked as she she found her voice shaking a little, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Thank goodness!" Faith said as she sighed with relief, "You're back to normal!"

"It's about damn time!" Zack said to her as he went to pick up his scythe, he mumbled to himself, "Can't believe I wasted my fucking time, doing this shit again."

"We were really worried about you, after you collapsed." Rachel told her, "How are you feeling?"

" **I WASN'T WORRIED ABOUT YOUR SORRY ASS YA DAMN BITCH!** " Zack yelled, though Kristen could've sworn he sounded embarrassed.

Once again, Kristen looked to Zack, shocked to hear this newfound information, but shook off the feeling. "I'm… I'm alright. I'm okay…"

"Are you sure?" Faith asked, "Do you need to rest?"

"No, there's no need." Kristen replied, as she stood, "Sorry for making you all worried."

Zack clicked his tongue and he started to make his way up the stairs, "If you're done with your breakdown, than let's get the hell out of here!"

The three of them looked to Zack giving him an awkward look; they looked back to Kristen who gave what look to be a disappointed look. They were both surprised to see this kind of reaction from her.

"Yeah… I'm touched by your concern." Kristen said with sarcasm, before she followed Zack up the stairs, "Come on you two."

"Huh… I thought they would take that differently." Faith said honestly.

The two of them eventually followed behind them. Just as they were about to search for the exit, they heard a groan coming from the bed of flowers. They saw that Eddie had regained conscious.

"This shitty brat is still alive?" Zack said.

"Ra… Chel…" He groaned as he started to sit himself up, "... I even made a coffin for you… I'm the only one who understands you… Tell me Rachel… Why…?"

Kristen saw the sadness in his eyes, as she couldn't help but feel sympathetic. She couldn't help but ponder a thought.

"Eddie, I-" Rachel started to say.

"Sorry you brat-" Zack started to say, as he had his scythe ready, "- **BUT THE LADY SHOT YOU DOWN!** "

He swung his scythe, hitting his head causing the three of them to jump; his mask fallen off, revealing his orange hair, green eyes and freckles. He fell back into the bed of flowers crying out in agony. With a smile, and a screech of laughter he went to take the final swing with his blade to finish him off.

 _ **CLANG!**_

All of them had been taken back when a blade had blocked his attack; they realized that it had been Kristen. " **WHAT THE FUCK!?** " Zack exclaimed as he pulled his blade back, " **WHY DID YOU STOP ME!?** "

"... You might be okay with taking a life…" Kristen told him as she put the knife back in it's holster, "... But it's like I told you, I don't kill."

" **DID YOU NOT REALIZE WHAT HE JUST TRIED TO DO!?** " Zack shouted, " **I THOUGHT YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE SMART!** "

Kristen didn't even retort as she turned to Eddie who was just as surprised as Zack was. "Why?" The boy asked, "Why did you save me?"

"Because I can't stand the thought of a kid getting hurt." She replied as she helped him out of the coffin.

"But I thought you would be angry, that I-" Eddie started to say as his mind had been processing her actions. Kristen shushed him gently, "What you did was wrong, I'll admit." She told him, "But that doesn't mean I'm going to change how I think."

At this Eddie had stayed silent as he looked to the floor, still trying to reason with himself that was happening wasn't real. Until she said something that caught them completely by surprise.

"Come with us Eddie." Kristen told him gently.

They looked to her shocked.

"You don't have to stay here." She continued, "If you come with us you can be free."

Eddie's expression changed to a look of sadness, "But you know what I've done." He said, "There's no place for me even if I do get outside."

"Maybe but…" Kristen said, before holding her hand out to him, "... You'll never know unless you try."

"... You'd really forgive me that easily?"

"It's the way I am. It's better than dying in here now isn't it?"

Eddie looked to his own hand before he looked to Kristen as she had been giving him a warm smile on her face. Eventually he found himself smiling back, as tears began to form; He removed his glove, letting it fall to the floor, and put his hand on top of her own.

"O-Okay." Eddie choked, "I'll come with you."

Kristen gave him a pat on the head as she ruffled his hair, "Atta boy."

Faith couldn't help but sigh in relief while Rachel looked to her with awe. Zack on the other hand, he didn't know what to think of this. He didn't if he should be amazed or hate her, or just be pissed by her actions. It was confusing to him, and honestly… He couldn't help but find this familiar. He placed his hand over his chest, as he could've sworn his heart twisted a little.

He soon cleared his throat, getting their attention, "So, how exactly were you controlling the lights earlier?"

Eddie wiped away his tears as he replied, "I was, using a remote to turn the lights on and off."

"Seriously?" Zack said surprised, before looking to Faith and Rachel, "Did you two managed to figure that out?"

"Yeah." Rachel replied as she held the remote in her hand, "The timing of the lights were too perfect."

"It wouldn't have made sense for him to just keep running back to a certain spot in the room." Faith added.

"That's great in all, but…" Kristen started to say before she looked to Eddie, "I don't suppose that one of those buttons could show us a way out of here?"

"As a matter of fact…" Eddie said before he held his hand to Rachel, "... May I?"

Rachel gave a nod, as she gave the remote back to Eddie. He pressed a button on the remote and they heard the sound of a click. They saw the waterfall had stopped flowing, revealing the way to another elevator.

"Well would you look at that…" Zack said throwing his scythe over his shoulder, "... It was there the whole time?"

"As a master of this floor, I had to make sure it was hard to find." Eddie told them.

"Hiding in plain sight." Kristen said impressed, "Not bad."

Zack soon cracked a smile, before he started to go to where the elevator had been.

"What are we waiting for? Let's get going." He said.

Faith was quick to follow behind, though as Kristen was about to follow their lead, she noticed that Rachel and Eddie hadn't been following.

"Hey, something the mat-?"

She didn't have a chance to finish her sentence when she had noticed what had been in the air. It had been a batch of butterflies, all in different colors flying around, some of them perched on top of the fresh batch of flowers that had been before them. Rachel had been hypnotized by this as she could almost swear it took her breath away, while Eddie had a sad expression on his face.

"How pretty." Rachel commented, though her expression remained unchanged.

"Yeah… It really is." Kristen couldn't help but add.

He held his hand out, and a couple of them landed on his fingers.

"I guess this is goodbye than…" He told them softly, as one landed on his head, "I'll miss you."

Of course, this moment didn't last long.

" **HEY! KRIS!** " They heard Zack shout, " **STOP MESSING AROUND AND TELL RAY TO MOVE IT ALREADY!** "

" **IS THERE EVER A TIME WHERE YOU'RE NOT GOING TOO-** " Kristen started to shout, before she stopped herself, "I'm sorry, what did you call me?"

"And-" Rachel started to say, "Did you just call me-"

" **WHAT DID YOU TWO JUST GO DEAF!?** " Zack yelled, " **I SAID LET'S GO ALREADY!** "

Rachel couldn't help but give a small smile, "Alright." She soon took Eddie's hand, "Let's go, okay?"

Eddie gave Rachel a smile before he nodded, allowing her to lead the way. Kristen had been but a stunned look on her face, only to be snapped out of it when Rachel took her hand.

"Shall we?" She said.

Kristen gave a nod before she said, "Yeah, let's go."

With that, they made their way to the elevator, as Kristen had another thought in her head.

" _I guess he was worried about me after-all._ "

( _ **Ending Theme: Angels of Death Ending Theme-Pray Performed By Haruka Chisuga**_ )


	10. Chapter 9 Epilogue: Ascending

" _ **The floor master has left their designated floor. As this is a violation of the rules, the traitor has been selected as a sacrifice.**_ "

The five of them listened to the message play as Eddie had a nervous look on his face. He played with the scarf around his neck as he took a deep breath. "I guess there's no turning back now." Eddie said.

"At the very least, we have each other." Faith said, as she took a seat on the floor.

"Do you know what's beyond your floor?" Rachel soon asked.

Eddie shook his head in reply, "I've never had a reason to leave my own until now. I'm not sure what's going to be ahead."

"I see." She said, "I suppose it was pointless to ask anyway."

Eddie soon noticed Kristen looking at her own profile as she had been leaning against the wall. He noticed the look she had been given as she read it, over and over again. "Hey Eddie?" She soon said, "These profiles… Did you write them yourself?"

"I did." Eddie replied, "Why?"

She turned her profile over to him, "This part here." She said as she pointed to the paragraph, "Did you black out all of this?"

Eddie looked closely at her profile, "Now that I think about it… It wasn't like before when I wrote it."

"Than you didn't do this?"

"It wasn't me."

"Do you at least remember what was written here?"

Eddie gave it some thought before he replied sadly, "Sorry. I've buried so many people, and written so much profiles that I don't remember what I put there."

Kristen gave a disappointed look, before she sighed, "Thanks anyway."

She looked to the profile again, re-reading it's continents and looking to the picture that had been provided.

" _... I remember taking that photo. I remember my parents. I know what happened to them. I know my crime. But…_ "

She saw images pass by in her head, as she let out a small groan, that almost went unnoticed by the others.

" _Everything else is just scattered. That person… That place… The rose… What does it all mean?_ _Who could've inked out my profile, if not Eddie?_ "

She had been deep in her own thoughts, she didn't realize that Zack had been trying to get her attention. She only registered this when she felt him tap her on the shoulder. She noticed the look he had been giving her.

"What?" She asked him, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Listen to me carefully Kris…" Zack started to say, "... What you did back there, I gotta admit was pretty ballsy."

"That a compliment you're giving me? Now I know you're insane."

"Shut up."

"Nah, it's nice in your own insane kind of way."

Zack couldn't help but scoff as he let out a sigh, "But-" He began, making Kristen double take, "-That kind of thing isn't going to keep you alive in here. I may not be smart, but I know that much."

Her expression seemed to change as she could've sworn that the expression he gave was a hint of anger, and… Something else entirely. "... Like it or not, you're going to have to take a life if you want to stay alive in this shithole." He told her, "You better be prepared for that, the next time we're in a situation like that one."

"But it's-" Kristen started to say before she was cut off.

"Don't give me that crap again." Zack said, "I don't care about what you think, and these other people on the other floors are going to have the same thought I have about your ideals. They're just some people that can't have their minds changed like the shitty brat's over there."

Kristen's expression softened as she couldn't help but tilt her head curiously, "Is that the truth you're telling?"

"What do you think?" Zack merely replied.

Right before Kristen could say anything more, their attention had been drawn to Rachel.

"Hey?" She said as they looked to her, "Were we useful to you Mister?"

Zack groaned annoyingly at this, "Will you stop with this Mister crap? It's giving me the freaking creeps."

"It's called being polite." Faith reasoned, "It's only fitting."

"Well it isn't to me FiFi." He told her, "So quit it with that."

Faith had been taken back by the nickname, though she gave a small smile as her face turned a little red. "... Than… Can we call you Isaac?"

Zack flinched at the name, "Actually, I'd rather you'd just call me Zack."

"... Okay." Rachel soon said, "... Have we've been useful to you?"

Zack cracked a smile, "Well yeah. Other than Kris's breakdown, you were a little bit helpful. Keep it up on the next floor too." He looked to Eddie, "Since you're gonna be stuck with us, that means you pull the weight."

"Yeah, yeah I got it." Eddie replied as he held his shovel behind his back, "You know for the record, I still don't like you."

"Feelings mutual." Zack told him after he chuckled lightly, "Shitty brat."

"Don't worry Isa-" Faith said before stopping herself, "-I mean Zack. We'll do our best to help."

"I'll make it up to you, so you won't have to worry." Kristen said to him.

"I'll do my best as well." Rachel said, before she put her hands together, taking all of them by surprise, "As you swore to God, once we get out of here, you have to kill me." Kristen and Faith couldn't help but feel concerned while Eddie and Zack seemed unphased.

"Do you really have to keep saying that?" Zack said.

With a smile he leaned forward as he was in close proximity with Rachel.

"Don't worry." He reassured her, "I know."

Finally the elevator slowly came to a halt, as they arrived on floor B3.


	11. Chapter 10: The Judge on B3

( _ **Second Opening Theme: Blood + Opening 1-Tears of Heaven Performed By Takashi Hitomi**_ )

"Why can't we just go all the way to the top?"

The first sight they were met with was a what looked to be a set of bars blocking the path up ahead. On the floor their looked to be a red carpet, and on ceiling there were two cameras both at a different angle as it had pointed towards them along with what looked to be a speaker; this had perplexed all of them, as they stepped off the elevator.

"This place looks creepy…" Faith said as she shivered.

"Ditto." Eddie said looking around.

Kristen and Rachel stepped towards the bars. They both tried to look ahead though they couldn't tell what had been in front of them. As Rachel tried to pull on the bars, Kristen examined the door, on the outside, but found that there had been no keyhole.

"The doors locked." Rachel said to the group.

"It doesn't look like there's anything here that we can use." Faith soon concluded after taking one more look.

"You honestly don't expect me to have the answers do you?" Zack said to the group, "I thought you guys were supposed to be smart so think of something."

Rachel, Faith and Kristen started to put their minds to work, as they thought of what to do. Eddie soon took notice of Faith's backpack. "You seem more prepared than any of us." Eddie said to her, "Do you have something that can help?"

"Oh well…" Faith started to say, as she removed the bag, "...I'm afraid other than my walkie I don't have much…"

She started to remove the continents in her bag. She got out a notebook, a couple of textbooks, one on history, the other having to do with science, a pencil case, a lunchbox, and a broken cellphone.

"This is all I have on me." Faith told me, "Though I doubt they're going to be much help."

"They're still food in there?" Eddie asked pointing to the lunchbox.

"Yeah, but it's just a couple of snacks, nothing too filling." Faith replied, "I was saving them in case I ran out of food while I was still in hiding. I haven't opened them so they're still good to eat if we get hungry later."

"How about the phone?" Kristen asked.

"It's my brother's phone." Faith said, "Despite the cracked screen I can still turn it on, but as long as we're in here, I can't get a signal. I've been keeping it off the whole time so the battery remains full."

"Good thinking with that one, but I guess it's pointless of me to think we can call for help." Kristen said, "Just so we can save time."

"So you're saying you got nothing in there that can help?" Zack asked.

Faith only shook her head in disappointment, making Zack click his tongue. "Hey, it's alright." Kristen said as she pat her on the shoulder.

"Yeah." Eddie added, "It was a good shot anyway."

"Thanks you guys." Faith said to them with a smile, before she started to repack everything into her bag. "What about you Kris?" Zack asked as he noticed the messenger bag around her, "You got anything in there?"

"Just some extra bullets." Kristen replied, "Other than that, there's nothing of use."

She soon noticed that Rachel had been staying quiet the entire time. Her hand been hovering the metal latch that kept her bag closed; the others soon noticed this too. "Now that I think about it…" Faith said, "You've had that bag the whole time and we never asked what was in it."

"Rachel, do you have something that might help?" Kristen asked.

Rachel didn't reply, but Kristen could've sworn she her her face change a little.

"Don't be shy, tell us what's in it." Zack told her.

This time, Rachel had responded, "A needle… Some thread… And-"

"Hey, are you one of those badasses than can pick a lock with needle and thread?" Zack soon asked, as he sounded strangely excited. Kristen was left baffled, Faith gave him an awkward look while Eddie slapped himself in the face. Rachel on the other hand let out a sigh, "I don't have that kind of talent."

"It's not like it'll matter." Kristen told him, "There's no keyhole on the door."

"Than what the fuck is the point of having a needle!?" Zack exclaimed, before he was slapped in the head, courtesy of Kristen.

"You did say that you knew how sew before didn't you?" Faith soon asked, earning a nod from Rachel.

"Than it could come in handy if one of us gets injured." Eddie soon concluded.

Zack's eyebrow twitched at this, " **MOVE IT! I'LL SMASH IT OPEN MYSELF!** "

"But they're iron bars." Rachel stated.

" **SO!?** " Zack exclaimed.

Kristen started to say, "... Unless you're Superman, these bars ain't gonna break for you."

" **SHUT UP!** " He shouted, " **WE'RE NOT GONNA KNOW UNLESS WE TRY!** "

Kristen let out a groan, "Seriously? Did you not process what I just said?"

" **AND I SUPPOSE YOU GOT A BETTER IDEA!?** " Zack yelled.

Kristen had been about to retort but stop herself when no good ideas came to mind. She threw her hands in the air, "You know what, I'll just shut up and let you do your thing."

"Thank you!" He said with a bit of sarcasm.

He swung his scythe hitting the bars with all of his strength. Though as expected, the bars didn't even dent and his body shook a little.

" **SO HARD!** " Zack exclaimed.

"It's made of iron genius." Eddie told him.

" **A LITTLE WARNING NEXT TIME WOULD HELP!** " Zack shouted.

"We did." Rachel and Kristen said in unison.

All of sudden an alarm started to go off, as they were startled by the sound and a red light, making their heads dart around all that surrounded them.

"That doesn't sound good." Faith said.

Kristen and Zack soon heard the sound of something opening nearby; it had been directed towards the ceiling. Their eyes widened when they saw what it had been.

" **GUN!** " Kristen exclaimed as she went to grab Rachel and Eddie.

" **GET DOWN!** " Zack yelled as he grabbed Faith.

The gun soon went off, just as they moved out of the way, with Kristen using her body to protect Eddie and Rachel in case the bullets ricochet, and Zack pulling Faith by the back of her shirt; it had fired rapidly, firing many rounds at where they were standing. Eventually it stopped as the gun began to slow itself down. The group looked, as they saw the floor had been riddled with holes now.

"Holy crap…" Eddie said surprised, just as Kristen removed herself from him and Rachel.

"Is someone trying to make swiss cheese out of us?" Zack wondered aloud as he still held onto Faith.

They soon heard the PA come online; followed by the sound of a voice belonging to a woman.

" _Hi Zack~!_ " The woman said cheerfully, " _Sorry I'm late! You guys took so long to get here that I fell asleep._ "

"The hell?" Kristen said, before looking to Zack, "Who is that?"

"I don't got a fucking clue." Zack told her.

"I guess that's the master of this floor." Faith soon concluded, as she looked to Eddie, "Right?"

"Maybe." Eddie added, "Like I said, I've never been beyond my own floor."

" _Still…_ " They heard her say, " _... I'm amazed that didn't kill any of you. You and Krissy there have an amazing intuition! I had a feeling you two would make fantastic criminals._ " Though she wasn't in the same room right now, Kristen could've sworn she felt the moment she licked her lips, " _The anticipation must've woke me up._ "

"Krissy?" Kristen said with a shiever.

"I don't give a shit on how you woke up!" Zack told the person as he let Faith stand up before he turned to the camera, "Just open the damn door and let us through!"

" _Of course._ " The woman replied.

The lights soon came on, as if they had been spotlights; they were taken back when they saw confetti fall from the ceiling, which took them back. They also heard the sound of a recording of people cheering.

" _You all passed!_ " They heard her say.

"What in the world…?"Faith said, just perplexed.

" _I am…_ _ **The judge on this floor**_ _._ "The woman said, " _Oh! You sinful evildoers! I will torment you until your sins are forgiven! I am the_ _ **ONE**_ _who has permitted to do that!"_

They heard her give a laugh over the speakers, which couldn't help but send shivers down their spines; though Zack found himself hating the sound of her voice, even Eddie. They soon heard the door give a click, and the light that had been provided turned green before it had slid open for them.

"I never thought she'd never shut her damn piercing mouth." Zack said annoyed as he started to walk away, "Why the hell do I have to get punished?"

"We're sinners…" Rachel had soon been heard mumbling.

"Rachel?" Kristen said a little worried.

"Hey! Come on, let's go!" Zack told the group.

After they gave each other a glance before they followed behind Zack. They went down the red pathway provided, eventually reaching what looked to be a couple of doors leading to different rooms on the floor. Rachel and Eddie went to try the doors across from one another.

"It's locked." Rachel said.

"This one too." Eddie added.

"Seriously?" Faith said shocked, "What are the odds of that?"

"What gives!?" Kristen said looking to the camera nearby, "I thought you were going to let us pass!"

" _My, my, I didn't know you were impatient Krissy._ " The woman said, " _I haven't even finished putting on my make-up yet_."

"That's what you're concerned about!?" Kristen exclaimed.

" _There's a procedure that every criminal has to go through being punished."_ The woman said before she chuckled, " _But than again, you would know all about that wouldn't you my dear?_ "

Kristen couldn't help but flinch, though she didn't realize that Zack had been looking in her direction, when he noticed her expression change.

" _Just start getting ready to accept your punishment._ " The woman said, " _I'll open up a room for you to use. Every criminal needs a mugshot. The five of you can take yours. And don't forget to wear your name boards."_

They heard the door that Eddie stood in front of let out a click. When he turned the knob, it opened wide, revealing a room with a single camera and desk; nameboards on the side along with a table, and the camera had been sitting on a tripod. Each of them took their own nameboard; all except for Zack and Kristen. While Zack looked annoyed, Kristen couldn't help but look uneasy.

"… This is bringing back unpleasant memories." Kristen said, looking to the nameboard that sat on the table.

"Seriously…" Zack said, "... With all the shit we just went through, we gotta do a photoshoot?"

"Like it or not, we gotta do it." Eddie told him, "It's the only way we're gonna keep moving forward."

"Trust me, I don't like this as much as you do, but we got no choice." Faith said.

Rachel took the board, and handed it over to Zack, "Here. Take it."

Zack looked to the three of them, as they had waited eagerly for him to take.

"Gah! Fine!" He said before he took the name board from her, "Give me that!"

He looked to the name board giving it a curious look. "What does this even say?"

"Your name." Kristen told him as she finally turned to him. She pointed to his name, pronouncing it for him, "See? Is-aac-Fo-Ster-"

Zack was about to say something, though strangely found himself struggling to do so, as Kristen had been in close proximity with him. Just before he could, Rachel spoke up, "Let's not waste anymore time. Zack. Hang it around your neck and go stand over there."

"Fine, miss boss lady." Zack huffed as he put his scythe to the side.

With that being said, Zack had been the first to go up against the wall with Kristen taking the picture. The only problem however, was the fact that Zack had still been moving; Well actually he was more fidgety. Guess he's not used to standing still, is what Kristen thought to herself. "Hurry up and take the picture!" Zack said as he started to move the name board around.

"I would if you'd stop moving!" Kristen told him.

"Who the hell cares!?" He shouted as his body still shook, "We just gotta take the damn photo don't we?!"

"It's gonna come out blurry if I take it now!"

" **WHAT THE FUCK!? ARE YOU TAKING THIS SERIO-** "

" **FREEZE!** "

She just happened to take a photo where Zack had been standing perfectly with his arms out. Kristen, Faith and Eddie tried real hard not to laugh at the expression he made, as he had just been speechless. She soon had Faith stand in front of the camera. The young teen stood straight, as if it had been picture day. Than next came Eddie as he held the name board in front of, just enough so that it could cover his mouth.

All the while she did this, Zack looked over her shoulder watching closely as she worked. He couldn't help but think about where he had seen her before, or even why he was giving a crap about it to begin with. The thought had been driving him crazy to this point as to why Kristen had been giving off a familiar aura, or even why he cared about whether she lived or died.

Soon enough, it came time to take Rachel's photo.

"Hey!" Zack told Kristen just as she finished setting up the tripod, "Let me take the damn picture!"

Kristen looked to him surprised, "Really? You wanna work the camera?"

"Did I fucking stutter?" He said as it had been more like a statement.

"You sure you know how to work this?" She asked.

For a moment Zack paused as he kept trying to open his mouth to say something, though he kept on shutting his mouth. As he repeated this pattern his eyebrow twitched slightly; Kristen couldn't help but giggle. "Here, let me show you mummy." She said as she put him in front, before she pointed to the button the camera provided, "The height's already been set up, so all you gotta do is just push the button here."

"That's it?" Zack asked, "Just like that?"

"Yup." Kristen said as she backed up a little, "Just press the button and let the camera do it's magic."

Zack looked to the camera and formed his hand into a fist.

"Wait, don't press it to-"

Kristen had been cut off when a bright flash blinded her for a moment, before she realized that he hit the button with his fist.

"-Hard." Kristen finally finished, taking note that Rachel had made a cringe look on her face at the way Zack handled the camera. "Kristen, I'll take your photo." Rachel said as she stepped out of it's camera frame.

Kristen nodded and smiled to her, "Sounds like a good plan."

She soon stepped in front of the camera, with Rachel manning the camera now. Though as she stood straight, she could almost swear that her vision had gone a bit blurry for a second, and the things that surrounded, seemed to have changed to something different entirely. She could've sworn she found herself in what looked to be a dark room.

"Kristen?"

She jumped slightly when she heard Rachel's voice.

"Are you ready?" Rachel asked, not noticing how Kristen was acting, "I'm about to take the picture."

She sighed, "Just get it over with."

Rachel gave a nod as she went behind the camera, adjusting slightly so that it had been in focus. Kristen held up the nameboard, before she had been taken back by the flash. For a brief moment she thought her surroundings around her changed again. She could've sworn she found herself back in the police station. Though when she blinked, she found nothing had changed.

"What in the…"

"The pictures are done developing." Faith soon announced to the group.

Each of them gathered around, as Faith took the photos that had been on the side for the moment, followed by Kristen's photo. They each looked over it, only to see that Rachel's photo had been hard to see.

"It's blurry." Rachel commented.

"Who cares if it is, we got the pictures didn't we?" Zack told her.

"You idiot! You ruined Rachel's perfect image!" Eddie told him as he started to hit him, "You should be ashamed!"

"Quit hitting me you shitty brat!" Zack shouted as he punched him at the top of his head.

" **FOR THE LAST TIME, I'M NOT A SHITTY BRAT!** "

" **DO YOU WANT ME TO CHANGE MY MIND ABOUT KILLING YOU!?** "

" **SQUARE UP!** "

Just like that a puff of smoke appeared as they started to throw punches at one another. "Ah. It's shifted." Rachel said still with a monotone voice.

"You're right…" Faith said awkwardly as she looked to Kristen and back to the two currently fighting, "... Now I'm _**REALLY**_ worried."

Kristen looked to her own photo before she looked to the one on her profile. She let out another sigh when she compared the two of them. "What's wrong?" Rachel asked when she noticed the look on her face.

"Oh, it's just that-" Kristen started to say hesitantly, "-There's not much difference to my old mugshot." The child's expression softened at this as she looked to the photo. "You know something about people with red eyes…" Kristen started to say as her eyes had still had been at the photos, "... There said to be cursed… When the officers took my photo, they told me how ugly I looked… Guess they were right about that."

She was surprised to see that the child shook her head, "That's not true… You look beautiful."

"Oh…" She said surprised, "... Thanks…"

Neither of them had realized that Zack and Eddie had stopped fighting as Zack's expression changed once again. He clicked his tongue before swiping the picture from her hands. "Let's just get a move on." He said, before holding the picture to the camera on the ceiling, " **HERE BITCH! YOU HAPPY!?** "

" _What's gotten him so angry?_ " Kristen had thought to herself.

Just as they exited the room, they saw the bars at the end of the hall opened, revealing another pathway. With no other option they proceeded down the hall where no light had been seen. At least most of them did.

Kristen found herself stopping in her tracks as she stared upon the darkened hallway as the others went on ahead. However they were quick to notice how she acted.

"Kristen?" Rachel asked, "Aren't you coming?"

"I-" Kristen started to say as her legs shook, "-I'm sorry. I don't think I can-"

"Oh that's right." Eddie said, "You're not used to the dark right?"

"It's alright Kristen." Faith told her, "We're all right here so you don't have to be scared."

"I know that but-" She said, "-I can't seem to move my legs."

The group looked to each other as they had all but concerned looks on their faces. The three of them were unsure of what to do, until Zack stepped towards her. She was surprised as ever when he took her hand.

"Come on, we're wasting time." Zack said, almost sounding aggressive.

Just before she could protest, she found him leading down the hall, surprising the three of them as he walked ahead with her. Eventually they started to follow behind the two of them. Though she had been lagging behind him, Kristen kept a firm hold on Zack's hand, trying her best to keep herself from breaking down right than and there as she couldn't help but find Zack's actions to be odd right now.

" _This is really strange…_ " She thought, "... _I know he's a serial killer, and he told me himself that he doesn't care about me, and yet… Why is this feeling…_ _ **Familiar**_ _?_ "

They had soon been getting to the end of the hall. Though as they were about to approach the door, they noticed something on the walls. Their appeared to be drawings that looked as though they were done by a child. One looked to be a stick figure in a chair, another with a face with X's on their eyes and a stick figure in a house, a drawing of a syringe and one more stick figure. The last and final one looked to have a noose around their neck.

"What is with all these doodles?" Faith wondered aloud.

"Don't know but these drawings are sure as hell crappy." Zack said.

Rachel and Eddie nodded in reply, just as Kristen looked to the drawings herself.

" _Aw, that's mean!_ " They heard the woman say, " _I did the best I could. Those drawings are wonderful punishments I have in store for all of you! I'm going to give you a choice._ "

"What kind of choice?" Faith asked the voice.

" _That answer is simple!_ " She said, " _There are many ways to make a judgement you see! Many harsh punishments await for all of you. Would one of you rather, stay in a cell forever?_ "

The group minus Rachel and Zack looked surprised at this. "How is _**THAT**_ choice any better?!" Kristen and Eddie questioned.

Zack spit to the side as he added, "Who the hell would be willing to stay in a cell?"

" _Aw._ " The voice said giggling a little though sounding a little disappointed, " _And I was all ready to keep you in there until you died._ "

"Don't sound cheerful." Kristen said, though she still felt uncomfortable being in the dark.

"Wait…" Faith soon said, "...We wouldn't die right away?"

"Yeah, I'd rather die quickly." Rachel added.

Kristen and Eddie looked to the two of them surprised, while Zack on the other hand, looked angry to hear that. He bonked Rachel on the head before he stomped on Faith's foot. " **OW!** " She exclaimed as she started to hop on one leg, " **DUDE!** "

"She likes it when you say morbid shit like that!" He told them.

" **I WASN'T BEING MORBID, I WAS BEING CURIOUS!** " Faith couldn't help but shout as she made an angry pout on her face.

"Don't care." Zack said to her, before pointing to the camera, "You two ignore the bitch."

With that being said, Zack walked ahead again, still holding onto Kristen's hand; the rest followed behind as if they were baby chicks. They eventually reached the end of the hall where they had found a door. Instead of opening it regularly Zack kicked the door open, before pulling Kristen in front of him so that she was in front; once again this action took her by surprise.

This feeling didn't last long when she realized what had been in the room exactly. There looked to be stage and a crowd of wooden life sized figures, each of them sitting in a chair; there had been a couple of black cabinets as well as another pathway blocked by iron bars. What she found strange however was at the stage their looked to be two chairs. The rest of the group entered and looked at everything that surrounded them.

"They're all dolls." Rachel said.

"Looks like another messed up room." Zack added.

Faith shivered as she looked at all the wooden dolls, "I swear, every room in this building is get more and more creepy." She looked to Eddie, "No offense."

"No, I'm with you." Eddie said, sounding somewhat calm as he looked to the wooden dolls themselves.

Kristen went over to the iron bars, and tried to pull them open. "Damn it, they're locked." She said. They soon noticed that Zack was eyeing the iron bars; none of them could tell what he had been thinking exactly.

Rachel only had an idea.

"Aren't you going to break them?" She asked.

"What?" Zack said, "Those bars are made of iron. It won't work, duh."

Zack saw the looks on their faces change to a look of shock; Guess none of them thought he would have that kind of an answer. Zack started to get annoyed when none of them didn't even utter a word " **WHY THE FUCK DO YOU SOUND SO SURPRISED!?** " Zack shouted, " **JUST BECAUSE I'M NOT SMART DOESN'T MEAN I CAN'T LEARN, OKAY!?** "

"Sorry, we're just having trouble processing that you said something smart instead of something idiotic." Kristen said, rubbing her head a little when it felt fuzzy.

Zack's eyebrow twitched at this, "Didn't you all say you would make yourselves useful? Come up with a way for us to move forward!"

"I think we should start looking around the room." Faith suggested, "There could be a key."

"It's not much but it's a start I guess." Eddie said.

"You should look around too." Rachel suggested to Zack, "It'll make things go a lot faster."

"Fine, miss boss lady." Zack said before he went to a certain part of the room.

The five of them started to look through different parts of the room, trying to find a way to get the door open. Kristen did her best to help out, though the headaches she had been getting now and again weren't much help. Even if she so much as had a thought, she felt the pain come in. She tried her best not to let the others know about it, but she could've sworn Zack was growing suspicious at the way she had been acting.

Apparently despite him not being educated, he really was perspective.

Almost an hour had passed, or what felt like an hour and they had no such luck with finding a clue.

"There's nothing here." Faith said after she looked through one of the cabinets provided.

"Over here too." Eddie added, after he looked under the chair where one of the dolls sat.

"This is really weird." Kristen said, groaning a little, "There's nothing here that can help us open that door."

"You're right." Rachel added, "I can't figure it out either."

"What!?" Zack shouted, as he sounded annoyed, "If none of you can't find anything, than why don't we break the dolls here!?"

"Because there's nothing that calls for it, that's why." Kristen told him.

"Really?" He said to her, "Than I suppose nothing " _ **CALLED**_ " for smashing those bars earlier than!?"

Kristen had been about to retort, though she stopped herself when she realized… He was right.

"Touche." She said, making her fingers look like a gun.

"Damn it!" Zack said kicking the wall, "This is _**REALLY**_ pissing me off! It's this kind of shit that really tires me out!"

"If you're really tired, than why don't you sit down?" Eddie said, gesturing to the chairs filled with wooden dolls.

"What, you just want me to pop a squat on a dolls lap!?" Zack said, "That ain't my style!"

Zack soon looked to the stage, looking at the two empty chairs. Just as he was about to sit, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Kristen had nearly fainted; were it not for Rachel nearby, she probably would've fallen onto the floor.

"Are you okay?" She asked as she helped her to stand.

"Ugh, sorry…" Kristen groaned, "... I haven't been feeling like myself since we got here…"

The two kids and teen looked concerned at this, not realizing the look on Zack's face as he looked in Kristen's direction. "Maybe it's from the shock from earlier." Eddie said, feeling guilty, "Sorry that's not my fault."

"You don't apologize Eddie." Kristen said with a smile.

"That's no good." Faith said, "Maybe you should sit down for a bit."

"Thanks, but I'd rather not be a burden to you." Kristen told her as she steadied herself when she removed herself from Rachel.

"But you'll make it worse if you push yourself." Rachel said, "Don't worry, we'll be fine with searching for a way out."

"Are you sure?" She asked.

Rachel gave a small smile as she nodded to her. Before Kristen could say anything she felt Zack pull her again.

"C'mere Kris." Zack said taking her to where the stage is, "I found a place for us to sit."

"Wait-"

"Don't argue with me. It'll be a pain in my ass if you end up passing out on us."

Kristen soon found herself at the stage in front of the two chairs. Zack had no problem taking a seat on the chair on the left, as he put his foot on his leg. She didn't why, but she found the structure of the chair to be familiar, even having a certain smell to it. She tried to think of where she had seen it before, but the headache prevented her from thinking.

"Come on Kris." He said, "This chair is pretty comfy."

She tried to think, though it hadn't been long before she shrugged, "When you put it like that…"

She took a seat with the chair on the right, and made herself comfortable. "Huh, you're right." Kristen said, putting her hands on the armrests provided, "It is pretty comfy."

"Right?" He said, "I feel like a goddamn king!"

Rachel, Eddie, and Faith looked to where they sat. It was only than they saw behind the red curtains the stage provided their looked to be a set of generators, and wires going underneath the chair.

"Wait a second!" Faith said as she ran to the front of the stage, "I don't think you guys should sit there!"

Kristen could sense the panic in Faith's voice, as her body tensed up a little, "Why what's wrong?"

"Would you quit nitpicking Fifi?" Zack said, "I'm tired, and she's got a headache!"

"Seriously, you two should get out of there!" Eddie told them.

"Are you sure you guys are okay?" Kristen asked worryingly.

"What's gotten you all worked up?" Zack asked.

"It's just..." Rachel started to say, "... That chair…"

"Yeah, what about it?" He said.

The child soon replied, "I think… _**It's an electric chair used for executions.**_ "

Kristen paused for a moment, "... Pardon?"

Before anyone could make a move, the lights in the room dimmed. A drum roll started to play as spotlights appeared with the devices provided on the ceiling. As soon as it shined on Zack and Kristen, the curtains pulled back. Rachel, Eddie and Faith jumped when they heard them scream followed by the sound of a clang.

" **HEY! HEY! HEY!** " Kristen shouted, " **WHAT THE HELL!?** "

" **WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!?** " They heard Zack yell.

The three of them looked behind the curtains, and had been horrified to see that their arms and legs were restrained, and a headset of some kind had been around the base of their skulls.

"Oh my gosh!" Faith said fearfully.

" **DON'T JUST STAND THERE!** " Zack shouted, " **GET US OUT OF HERE!** "

Rachel went to work on Kristen's, and Faith did the same with Zack. They tried to get the retsraintants off of their wrists, but found it to be pointless.

" **WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?** " Zack yelled.

"I can't get it off!" Faith told him.

"Same here!" Rachel said.

Eddie held the shovel over his head, "Stand back you two! I've got it!" Faith and Rachel were quick to comply, as they backed up from Zack and Kristen.

Just before he could take a swing they heard music start to play; it sounded like it had belonged to a family game show. A compartment opened up from the ceiling and a small television was lowered for everyone to see.

On the screen there looked to be a puppet of a woman with pink hair, with the captions that read, in bright colors, " _ **CATHY'S SHOW**_ "

" _Hi~_ " The woman's voice had said.

There on the television, their was revealed to be a woman who had been fairly tall with blonde hair that had been partly dyed pink. She had on a rectangular hat with a short black sleeved blazer and a red tie, along with a mini pencil skirt.

" _I'll be joining you through this screen._ " She said as she bowed. The camera changed it's angle; she looked to the camera, revealing her green eyes and red lipstick. "I am…" She said as she did this, " _ **... The judge on this floor.**_ " She gave a wink as she waved, " _My name's Cathy! Take a good look, so you won't forget this face!_ "

Everyone just looked baffled as they heard the sound of clapping coming from the TV. The woman named Cathy soon looked to the two on the chair.

" _Oh would you look at that!_ " Cathy said, " _Zack and Krissy are the ones that decided to take a seat!_ "

"Will you stop calling me that!?" Kristen shouted.

"You stupid bitch!" Zack shouted, "Let us out of here!"

Cathy merely laughed, " _What on Earth are you talking about? I'm not going to do that._ "

"Why the hell not!?" Kristen yelled.

Cathy soon replied, " _You should know very well why. What kind of a judge would I be if I didn't punish a criminal?_ " She soon pointed towards Zack and Kristen with what looked to be a small red whip. " _After all…_ " She said before she gestured to Zack, " _... He's a monster-_ " She pointed towards Kristen soon after, " _-And you my dear Krissy…_ _ **Are a walking curse**_ _._ "

Kristen flinched at the word curse, while Faith, Zack and Eddie were confused by this; Rachel on the other hand had a good idea on what she meant.

" _Let's see how much of my punishment you two will be able to endure!_ " Cathy said, as her face started to turn red. Her body soon shook; her eyes nearly rolling back. " _Ah! I'm so excited!_ " She said putting her hand over chest, " _My heart is pounding!_ "

The claps came again; Kristen could almost swear she saw a button the red whip.

" _Now than… Here we go!_ " Cathy said.

"Wait!" Kristen said, "What the hell are you going to-!?"

" _It's showtime!_ " Cathy said cutting her off.

With a spin, she pressed another button with the heel of her boot; The generators soon came online. It hadn't been long before Zack and Kristen started to scream in agony, as electricity started to course through their body, horrifying Rachel, Faith and Eddie.

( _ **Second Ending Theme: Another Ending Theme-Anamnesis Performed By annabel (anNina))**_


	12. Chapter 11: Race Against Time

( _ **Second Opening Theme: Blood + Opening 1-Tears of Heaven Performed By Takashi Hitomi**_ )

" _Now than… Here we go!_ " Cathy said.

"Wait!" Kristen said, "What the hell are you going to-!?"

" _It's showtime!_ " Cathy said cutting her off.

With a spin, she pressed another button with the heel of her boot; The generators soon came online. It hadn't been long before Zack and Kristen started to scream in agony, as electricity started to course through their body, horrifying Rachel, Faith and Eddie. The two of them struggled in their restraints as the shocks had gotten more and more intense than the last.

Finally the generator had shut itself off, and Zack and Kristen both slumped over.

" _Oh?_ " Cathy said as she sat on a sofa chair, " _Did they die?_ "

Rachel, Eddie and Faith looked to one another before they approached the two of them. "Zack?" Faith said worryingly, "Kristen? Are you guys… Alive?"

"You-You're not dead… Are you?" Eddie stammered.

Neither Zack or Kristen didn't respond; they didn't even see them twitch.

"Say something." Rachel pleaded.

Just as she said this, Kristen awoke with a gasp, startling them as they nearly jumped back. Kristen took deep breaths, as she twitched slightly from the electricity.

"That…" She said, looking to them, "... Was not fun!"

"Good, you're alive." Rachel said after she sighed.

"Yeah…" She said in between breaths, trying her best to smirk, "... Don't know how but I am… What about Zack…?"

"We're not sure." Faith said, "He's not mo-"

" **DAMN IT BITCH! THAT HURT LIKE HELL!** " Zack suddenly yelled scaring Faith.

"Speak of the devil." Eddie couldn't help but say.

They heard Cathy clap, " _Impressive!_ " She said, " _Anyone else would be dead after that! Guess being a curse and a monster has its perks!_ "

"Stop… Saying that…" Kristen said.

" _Why?_ " Cathy said, " _I think it makes you the perfect criminal!_ "

" **SHUT THE FUCK UP!** " Zack shouted, " **QUIT ACTING SO DAMN HAPPY! LET ME OFF THIS THING SO I CAN KILL YOU!** "

" _Okay than…_ " Cathy said as she had now been seen pouring tea, " _... If your little friends can solve my puzzle, I'll set you and Krissy free. But… Until they do…_ _ **I'll keep the electricity flowing through you both**_ _."_

"No!" Eddie yelled.

"You can't do that!" Faith added.

"If you do that, they'll die." Rachel soon finished.

" _Well I can't just not do it!_ " Cathy told them, " _It'll just tell us how monstrous and stubborn of a criminal Zack and Krissy are!_ _Now doesn't that sound fun…? Besides…_ _**A sinner has no right to chose.**_ _Okay than, let the judgement begin!_ _I hope all of you in the audience will enjoy the sight of this heinous crime writhing in pain!_ "

They soon took notice that the dolls in the room glowed a white light. "Oh God! This is really happening!" Faith said worryingly, "Guys, if we fail this they'll-"

"I know that." Rachel said to her calmingly, "Just try to stay calm."

"I can't stay calm!" She told her, "How are you calm at time like-On second thought don't answer that."

"Faith…" Kristen said softly getting her attention, "... I'll tell you right now… We're not going to die. Besides… I told you… I'd get you out of here… Didn't I…?"

"Even so-"

"Fifi!" Zack soon said, "You heard her! You trusted her up till this point, so what's stopping you now!?"

He soon turned to Rachel, "Ray! You get it don't you!? So make yourselves useful and get us out of here!" Rachel didn't reply verbally, she only nodded. Zack only tightened his grip on the armrest, "And while you're at it… _**Let me kill that psycho sadist bitch…**_ "

They heard Cathy let out a chuckle, " _The loathsome stares of those looking at the criminal… Those stares are what gauge a criminal's worth._ _**The eyes of the onlookers will mete out your punishment.**_ _And begin!_ "

With that she pressed the button with her heel. Zack and Kristen started to scream as the electricity began to flow through them again. The dolls began to move there heads from right to left; The generator shut down again, and the steam had been visible now off their bodies.

"Zack, Kristen?" Rachel said, "Are you alright?"

"We're… Fine…" Kristen groaned.

"Barely…" Zack added, "... Hurry the hell- _ **UP!**_ "

The two of them started to scream when the generators turned back on again. Faith couldn't help but look away while Eddie looked worried, particularly with Kristen. "God, this is just torture." Faith said.

"I know." Eddie said as he shook.

Rachel placed her hands on Faith and Eddies shoulder, getting their attention, "We need to stay focused. If we want to save them, we have to solve the puzzle."

"Y-You're right." Faith stammered. She took a deep breath, "Of course, you're right. So what do we know so far?"

"For starters…" Eddie said before looking to the wooden dolls, "... In here the eyes of the onlookers are meant to be the punishment."

"Man, I don't know what this means!" Faith said as she rubbed her head, "What does she mean by onlookers?"

Rachel looked to the wooden dolls as they moved their heads back and forth, from left to right. "The eyes… Of the onlookers…" She repeated aloud, "What does she mean by that…?"

The three of them, thought to themselves as they did their best to ignore their screams from behind. It hadn't been long before they looked to the wooden dolls in the room when they realized the clue.

"The dolls!" The three of them said in unison.

"That's what she means by onlookers!" Faith concluded, "The dolls are the key!"

"Than maybe we can shut down the machine, if we break them apart!" Eddie said as he got his shovel ready.

Rachel nodded, "Yeah, I think that'll work."

The electricity stopped again, though this time Kristen couldn't utter a word, as she had only been gasping for air, while Zack merely groaned.

"Make it quick!" He told them, before looking to Rachel, "You know what will happen if Kris and I di- **AAHH!** "

Once more the two of them screamed.

"If Kristen dies, she can't return the favor, nor can she keep her promise." Rachel said, "And if you die, you can't do anything. That'll be a problem." She soon picked up Zack's scythe that he dropped earlier and she did her best to hold it.

"Eddie, take the dolls on the right." Rachel said, "I've got the left. Faith take the middle section."

"Got it!" Eddie said before going to where Rachel told him to go.

"Wait a second!" Faith said, "What am I supposed to break them with?"

"Fa...Ith…"

Faith turned to Kristen and saw she had been struggling to breath. She motioned her head slightly to the holster on her leg.

"My… Knife…" She groaned, "... Take… It…"

Kristen started to scream again when the shocks started again. Kristen slumped over in the chair when the shocks stopped again. Though Faith had been concerned, she quickly acted. She approached her and took the knife from it's holster, and pulled back just as the shocks started again.

Faith looked fearfully and she looked to the knife as her arms shook a little. "Faith!" She soon heard Rachel say, "We need to hurry!"

Faith looked to her before she nodded, "Ri-Right!"

Thus the three of them started to get to work, with Rachel taking the right, Eddie handling the left, and Faith going straight down the middle. Zack found himself nearly passing out when the shocks stopped. He looked over in Kristen's direction and saw that she hadn't been doing so well; her whole body twitched and she had been drooling. Her eyes had been wide open and he only heard her gasp.

"Kr...Is…" Zack groaned, "St...ay… With me… Don't you dare… Die on me, oka- **AAAHHH!** "

Cathy seemed to enjoy what had been transpiring as she kept her foot on the button. " _The criminals cry out in agony…_ " She started to say for everyone to hear, " _... Begging for death out for his own regret. That wailing, suffering display of rage is the beauty of it._ "

The shocks stopped and Zack saw Kristen was only getting worst, as he saw tears start to stream down her face and more drool drip down her chin. He didn't know why, but… He was getting pissed.

"I'll kill you." He started to say, "I'll kill you, I'll kill you, I'll kill you, I'll kill you, I'll kill you, I'll kill you!" They started to scream again as Rachel, Eddie and Faith started to break apart the dolls.

At one point they just seemed to have stopped screaming, as they were only gasping from the shocks now. Rachel, Eddie and Faith were on the last of the dolls. Finally they sliced the head off the last of the dolls and the machines shut down. Zack and Kristen slumped over, as they both remained motionless.

The three of them dropped their weapons as they caught their breath. "Did…" Faith said, "... Did we make it?"

"I'm not sure." Eddie said.

"Kristen? Zack?" Rachel said, turning to them, "If you're alive, than say something."

The spotlight shined on the two of them; neither of them moved, only smoke seemed to have emitted from their bodies. The three of them approached the two, not knowing if they were dead or alive.

"Kristen? Zack?" Rachel said.

The three of them started to get worried, as neither didn't respond to Rachel. That was until-

" **YOU TOOK TOO LONG!** " Zack suddenly yelled, as he got up from the chair, grabbing a hold of Rachel's shoulders and shaking her slightly, " **DO YOU KNOW HOW INTENSE OF A SHOCK THAT WAS!?** "

"Zack!" Eddie and Faith exclaimed.

"You're alive." Rachel said calmly.

"Damn right I am." He told them.

He soon looked over to Kristen as she still wasn't moving. "Kris?" Zack said said going over to her, the others soon following behind him. He placed his hand on her shoulder, shaking her.

"Kris!" He started to yell, "Kris! Wake up, damn it!"

Kris didn't seem to respond as she slumped over on the arm rest. At this point the group had started to get even more worried.

"N-No…" Faith said as her voice shook, "... She can't be-"

"No way…" Eddie said, "She couldn't have-"

" **DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT FINISHING THAT SENTENCE!** " Zack shouted, before he turned back to Kristen, and started to shake her again " **HEY! RED EYES! STOP PLAYING DEAD ON US! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME! GET THE FUCK UP RIGHT NOW!** "

"What… Did I say… About cursing… You damn… Mummy?"

Most of the group flinched at the sound of Kristen voice. They saw her eyes had been open slightly. Though they couldn't help but look relieved at this, even Zack. "Kristen!" Rachel, Eddie and Faith exclaimed; Eddie and Faith couldn't help but hug her after she sat herself up in the chair.

"Don't scare us like that!" Eddie said as he had been in tears, "We really thought you died!"

"We were super worried!" Faith said as she sniffled.

"It's like I... Said before…" Kristen groaned as she did her best to return their hugs, "...I'm too… Stubborn to die…"

"You did say something like that." Faith said as she wiped away her tears, once she pushed herself out of the hug. The young woman couldn't help but chuckle, "Looks like… I owe you guys one…" She said, before looking to Rachel, "... And I owe you another…"

Rachel merely nodded her head at this, "... We weren't sure what to do, if the both of you were to die."

They soon heard Cathy clap, as she appeared on the screen once again. " _That was amazing!_ " She said, " _I can't believe Zack and Kristen didn't die! It's that tough, and stubborn will to live that makes monsters and curses so fascinating! The moment that you'll die is going to be so-_ "

 _ **SMASH!**_

Cathy had been abruptly cut off, when Zack smashed the TV with the help of his scythe.

"That damn bitch is really annoying." Zack said, throwing the scythe over his shoulder.

Soon enough they heard her laughing through the PA, which had surprised them. " _Out of respect for Rachel, Faith, and Edwards efforts, I'll let you pass. There's more than one punishment. I have many punishments as you have sins!_ "

With one more laugh, the spot lights turned off, before the lights to the room came back on. The doors light turned green before it slid open. Zack couldn't help but kick the the bars that had been next to the chairs.

"That sadistic bitch!" He said.

"Says the serial killer." Kristen said to him, still trying to get through the pain.

Zack chuckled at this, "After all that, you're still a smart ass. When I see her, I'm gonna kill that bitch. Let's get go-"

Zack and Kristen soon noticed that all the dolls within the room had been missing their heads, only one looked to be cracked. "Mind explaining?" Kristen asked turning to Eddie, Faith and Rachel.

"The dolls were the mechanism." Rachel replied, "We ended up breaking them."

Kristen and Zack stayed silent at this before he finally let out a sigh. "Terrific." Zack said, "We get lit up like the fourth of July and our weapons end up getting used for the weirdest shit. My life sucks."

"Don't complain." Kristen said.

She went to stand up, only to have herself falling to the floor the moment she tried to walk. "Oh my gosh!" Eddie said rushing over to her, along with Faith and Rachel, "Are you okay?"

"Ye-yeah, I'm fine." Kristen replied, as she went to stand up again only to fail.

"What the hell did I say about lying?" Zack said as he approached, "You're obviously not fine idiot, you can hardly stand up!"

"It must be from the shocks." Faith said, "Your nerves might be confused at the moment."

"So in other words she won't be able to walk!?" Zack said.

"Only for a little bit." She replied as she put Kristen's knife back in the holster.

"Look, I'll be alright." Kristen told him, "You guys just go on ahead, I'll catch up with you."

"Are you sure?" Rachel asked, "The hallways will be dark."

"I'll manage." She replied, "Just don't worry about- **WHOA!** "

The group had been taken by surprise when Zack took Kristen's arm; in one fail swoop, she found herself over Zack's shoulder like she had been a sack of potatoes. Kristen found her face heat up with embarrassment.

"Wha-Wha-" She stammered, "What are you doing-"

"Suck it up!" Zack said cutting her off, "Let's just get a move on already!"

"You don't have to carry me!" She told him, "I can walk-"

 _ **SLAP!**_

Kristen had been taken back when she felt Zack hit her; though she only turned more red when she realized where _**EXACTLY**_ he had hit her.

"Stop making me repeat myself Kris!" Zack said to her, "Quit being stubborn already!"

He noticed that Kristen had been silent as she was trying to think on what she was going to say.

"What?" Zack soon asked, "What's with the look?"

"You just- Hit me in the-!" Kristen started to say as she couldn't help but glare, "-In front of kids! **HAVE YOU NO SHAME?!** "

"Hey, it got you to shut up, didn't it?" Zack said with a shrug as he started to walk down the hall.

" **THAT'S NOT THE POINT AT ALL YOU JERK!** " Kristen shouted as she thrashed a little.

Rachel, Eddie, and Faith stood there awkwardly as they couldn't help but look awkwardly, as they were trying to figure out why Kristen had been upset.

"I don't get it." Faith said, "All he did was slap her butt."

"Yeah… What was there to be upset about?" Eddie wondered.

"Must be an adult thing." Rachel concluded before they started to follow Zack after Eddie picked up his shovel. They had gone down the hall, as they didn't find any other rooms. Only one seemed to be available to them; a door with a skull and bones behind it. Zack went to open though Kristen noticed the insignia on the door.

"Wait!" She said as she tugged on the back of his hoodie, "I don't think we should go in there!"

"Yeah, that looks dangerous." Rachel added.

"We're not gonna get anywhere by wussing out!" Zack said to them.

"Look, they're just saying we should be a little more careful." Faith said.

"It's faster than us just standing there and screwing around!" Zack said, "Now let's go!"

Thus they went inside with Kristen still over his shoulder. The minute Eddie stepped inside the door suddenly closed shut, as they heard the sound of a click; they saw the light above the knob had turned red. Eddie soon went to try and open the door, but had no such luck.

"We're locked in." Eddie told them.

"That shouldn't be surprising anymore." Zack said, before sniffing the aroma in the air, "Damn, it reeks in here."

"Uh…" Kristen said awkwardly, "... Can you put me down now?"

"You gonna fall on your ass again?"

"No."

"You lying again?"

"If I tell you no, will you put me down?"

"That's depending on your answer."

"... I'm not lying. I swear I'm not."

Zack only gave a stare before he not so gently put her down. Kristen managed to stagger slightly before she managed to steady herself. " _Geez, what is his deal?!_ " She couldn't help but think.

Thus the five of them began to look around; In the room they found a large safe, a corpse, a scale and the walls looked to be covered in blood, and scratches. There also looked to be a couple of openings with bars closed around them, and large speakers and several television. Zack and Eddie looked into the safe as it had been nearly opened. Though when they opened the safe, all they found was a piece of wire.

"Really?" Eddie said as he nearly dropped his shovel, "She has this giant safe and this was all that was inside?"

"Talk about a complete waste of space." Zack said tossing the wire to the side.

Kristen looked to the table noticing the scale, while Faith and Rachel examined the body on the floor. Looking closely at it, they could see that the ankle had been severed, leaving a clean cut.

"This poor soul…" Faith said solemnly, "... I wonder who it could have been…"

"Who knows…" Rachel said, "... But why is it in here?"

Kristen soon noticed what exactly had been next to the scale.

"Masks?"

She picked one of them up, only to see that the lens had been cracked slightly and they looked to all worn out. She soon noticed something quite odd as she pondered a thought.

" _This doesn't make sense. If they're five of us here…_ _**Why are there only four?**_ "

The group jumped as they heard a loud sound. They looked over and saw that Zack had tried to break the blurred glass, only to fail.

" **SO HARD!** " He shouted.

" **WHY DID YOU THINK THAT WOULD WORK!?** " Eddie exclaimed.

" **WHAT, IT WAS BETTER THAN DOING NOTHING!?** " Zack yelled back.

The speakers came online as they heard the music start up again. Once more Cathy appeared on the screens provided within the room provided.

" _Hi~_ " Cathy said, " _Greetings Zack! Hello Krissy! Did you miss me?_ "

"Like the plague." Zack and Kristen said in unison before they both looked to each other.

" _Allow me to explain how this room works._ " Cathy said as she showed them a chalkboard that had been the blueprint of the room, " _ **Listen well if you don't want to die**_ **.** "

"She is really giving me the creeps." Faith said as she shivered a little.

"Yeah, no kidding." Kristen said.

Finally Cathy started to tell them about the room, " _I got a little extravagant when I set up this room! It's completely air tight, so no air can get outside. And the glass window is reinforced_ , _so even if you hit it, it won't break. And I'm going to fill up the room with something wonderful! If you breath it in long enough, it'll grant you a peaceful death…_ _ **It's poisonous gas**_ _._ "

The group let out a gasp, as Zack's eyebrow twitched.

" _Of course, I'm not saying there's no way out of the room. Plus I'm showing mercy by providing a gas mask!_ " Cathy soon added, " _Best to get out fast! Okay?_ "

" _Ah… So that's what that's for._ " Kristen thought to herself looking to the gas masks, before she looked towards the rest of the group, " _If that's the case…_ "

" _Oh right, before I forget…_ " Cathy started to say, " _... It'll be boring if you last long too long without dying, so I've set a time limit. And… When time is up, I'll give you a gift of a poisonous gas so powerful that the mask won't work! Now than…_ _ **Have a delightful time**_ _._ "

Thus they heard the buzzer sound off as the TV soon showed a sand timer. They heard the the air start to his, showing the gas had started to set in. "That doesn't give us a lot of time." Faith said, looking to the sand timer, "From the looks of it, I'd say we only have five minutes to figure out of a way out of this room."

"So… What now?" Eddie asked.

"She said it as if there's no way out." Rachel said before she looked to see that, there had been a card reader of some kind, "It's just like the one on B7. If we can find the card, we can get that door open."

Kristen took the three masks sitting on the table before handing it to them. "Put these on." Kristen told them, "You guys will pass out a lot quicker than us." The three of them nodded before they put the masks on; making sure the straps had been tightened.

She looked to the mask on the table along with Zack, realizing now there had only been one. "Well this one is no brainer." Zack said picking up the mask and shoving it into her face, "Put the gas mask on."

"No, you have to wear it." Kristen said pushing the mask off of her face.

"What?" Zack said, "You need this more than I do."

"Don't talk like that. If you die here it's gonna be a problem for us. Not to mention it'll get in the way when I'm searching this room."

"Yeah? And what's gonna happen if you kick the bucket?"

"... I… I don't know…"

"You don't know!? Than let me spell it out for you!"

He put the mask on top of her head, taking her back a bit, "If you die here, than not only am I losing a chance on getting out of here-" Zack pointed over to the three of them as they finished putting on the masks, "-They'll end up dying if you're not here to help me protect them! Think about that!"

Kristen's eyes softened when she had realized he had made a point about it. After a moment before she looked back to the timer as she thought of a solution.

"Alright than… How about this?" Kristen said, "You take the mask for a bit, and I take it when it gets hard to breath. Sound like a plan?"

Zack clicked his tongue, before he went to put the mask on, "If it does happen, you had better tell me."

"I will." Kristen said to him.

"Alright, what do we do next?" Faith asked.

"If I were Cathy, I would have left a hint, that would be difficult to find, yet not impossible for me to miss." Kristen said as she thought aloud, "Question is, where exactly would I hide it?"

The group started to look around the room, until Rachel noticed the body again. "Could it be there?" Rachel said aloud before she ran over to it. "I think Rachel might've thought of something!" Eddie said to them.

"It looks like there's writing here." Rachel said as she tried to move the corpse, "I need help."

"Hang on, I've got you Rachel." Eddie said before he went to move it, though he didn't have such luck at this, "It won't budge!"

"We just gotta move the stiff?" Zack asked them.

"If we wanna know what that hint is, than yes." Faith replied.

Zack motioned Rachel and Zack to move out of the way, to which they did. With but a kick, Zack caused the body to turn over with ease; there the writing had been clear. "Go on, read it." Zack told Kristen.

Kristen nodded and looked to the writing on the floor.

" _The man with the unsightly foot._ " She started to read, " _Foolish murderer who stomped out life with your right foot… If the awareness of your sin causes you to suffer, you only need to get rid of your right foot. When the punishment matches to the crime, it may even invite a light to shine in Hell._ "

"What does that even mean?" Faith couldn't help but think aloud, "That hint doesn't make any sense."

"To get rid of the right foot…" Eddie said, "... Does that mean we have to actually get rid of it?"

"I don't think so." Rachel said before she looked to what the room provided, "If she really left something for us to find, I don't think she would make it that easy for us. For that matter, there's that phrase, the punishment matches to the crime."

Kristen looked over to the table, eyeing the scale in particular. "Maybe that scale has something to do with-" At this she started to cough which the group immediately took notice of this. Though all of them were surprised when Zack suddenly took off his mask and practically shoved it in her face.

"Didn't I tell you to warn me, when it got too hard to breath?" Zack said to her keeping his hand on the mask so it didn't fall off, "What now?"

"The foot…" She said catching her breath, "... I think we have to put it on the scale."

"Hey!" He said to the rest, "You heard her!"

"Got it." Rachel said. She picked up the foot off of the floor, and placed it on the scale. As she did this, Zack made sure that the straps on the mask had been tight so it wouldn't fall off of Kristen's face easily.

"Okay, what now?" Eddie asked.

"We just got to match the weight of the crime now." Rachel added as she looked around the room, along with Eddie and Faith. "There!" Faith soon said as she had spotted something. She picked up what looked to be a small bag filled with something made of metal, "This might work!"

With that she placed it on the scale; it shook for a minute but eventually it had stopped when they said they both had been equally balanced. They waited for something to happen, though it had been too quiet for them; only the sound of the gas leaking into the room had been heard.

"Nothing's happening." Eddie pointed out.

"Did Cathy just play with us?" Faith asked.

"No..." Kristen said as she started to look around, "I don't think so. There has to be something that changed…"

She tried to survey all that surrounded her, though it had been hard to tell where anything was through the mask. Giving an annoyed groan, she threw the mask off and onto the floor, surprising the group as she ran forward. She started to search, checking high and low for anything that had been different.

"Come on, come on, there has to be something!" Kristen said, "Something! Something…"

Her vision started to get fuzzy, and she started to cough again. She fell to her knees as she tried her best to breath. "Kristen!" The three kids yelled. Eddie ran over to her with the mask in hand, "You have to put it back on, or you'll die!"

"I'll be…" Kristen said as she tried her best to stay awake, "... Okay… I have to… Find a way… Out of here…"

"Kristen please." Rachel said, "You have to put it on."

"Not yet…" She said, "... I need a… Minute… Gotta… Keep… Looking..."

She soon felt everything go fuzzy and everything had been muffled in her ears. " _Everything's feeling fuzzy… I can hardly breath… But if I… Die… What will… Happen to them…?_ "

Just like that she lost her footing which caused the three of them to gasp out of shock; though before she could hit the floor, Zack caught her by the neck of her shirt.

"Yo." Zack said, "It's a bit early for you to die, don't you think?"

"Za...ck…" Kristen groaned before he pulled her up onto her knees. He took the mask from Eddie and put it over her head. "Pull yourself together Red Eyes." Zack said, "We're going to get out of here alive. You've got a promise to keep, don't you?"

Kristen's expression changed as for a moment as she looked to the three kids before her. She saw through the masks they all had worried looks on their faces. She gave out a sigh before she turned to Zack and gave him a nod. With a smile he slid the mask back onto her face and helped her to stand up.

"The mechanism…" Kristen said as she started to catch her breath again, "... It should be solved… Look for anything different in the room…"

"Okay." Rachel said with a nod.

Rachel, Eddie and Faith started to look around the room. So far, they couldn't find anything out of the ordinary in the room, as everything looked the same, that is until Faith tripped. Eddie had been quick to catch her before she could hit the floor.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, I think I tripped on something." Faith replied she looked behind her and saw what looked to be a square like object on the floor, "Wait a second…" Faith said as she went to examine it, fixing her glasses a little, "... I don't remember seeing this when we first came in here."

"Where did it come from?" Eddie wondered.

"The only place it could've come from was…" Rachel started to say before she looked overhead, "... There!"

The whole group looked up and saw what looked to be an open space in the ceiling. "An air duct…" Kristen said, "... That must be where the key card is…"

"How are we supposed to get up there?" Faith wondered aloud, "None of us are tall enough to-"

"Hey!" Zack soon said, getting Rachel, Eddie and Faith's attention, "Out of all of you here, which of you is the smallest?"

Everyone had been taken back by this question. Though it hadn't been long before Rachel answered, "I guess it would be me, but what does that have to-"

Zack practically threw down his scythe and picked Rachel up off the floor with ease.

" **GET GOING!** " Zack yelled as he threw her towards the air duct, taking everyone by surprise; their jaws practically dropped at this. Even Rachel had been surprised despite the fact she landed in the air duct safely.

" **ZACK!** " Kristen shouted smacking him on the head, " **YOU COULD'VE GIVEN HER A CONCUSSION!** " Immediately she felt woozy, "Oh God, I shouldn't have yelled…"

"And what you have us do, form a human pyramid!?" Zack said, as he steadied her again when he saw she was about to fall.

They soon jumped when they heard something break in the vent. Kristen gasped as she realized it could only be one thing, as did Faith and Eddie. Zack on the other hand-

" **QUIT SPACING OUT IN THERE!** " He yelled, " **SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING USEFUL!** "

"Okay." They heard Rachel say.

Movement could be heard within the vents, as the group had waited anxiously. Eventually they heard her crawl back over and she had come into view. It was than they realized what had been missing. "Where's your mask?!" Kristen exclaimed.

"It broke." Rachel replied calmly, "Don't worry I'll be alright."

"Are you sure?" Eddie asked worryingly.

Rachel only nodded her head in reply, as the three of them couldn't help but give a look of worry. Faith shook her head a little, "We can worry about it later, did you find anything?"

Rachel nodded again and showed them that she had been holding a card that had been in the colors of purple and white. Kristen held out her arms to her, and Rachel jumped down. Though she caught the small girl, she fell to the ground when she lost her balance.

"Sorry." Rachel said as she got off of her.

"Don't worry about it." Kristen told her, "You're not that heavy." She soon took the card from Rachel and went to stand. "Let's get out of this room…" She said with a tired voice; she only fell on her knees when she felt dizzy again, despite the mask on her making Zack click his tongue.

"The gas must be really affecting you." Zack said before taking the card from her, "You stay here I got it."

"Wait I-"

"Save it." He told her cutting her off, "You've done more than enough." He turned to three of them, "Keep an eye on her for me, alright?"

The three of them gave a nod, before Zack made his way over to the door, to use the keycard on the door. Though when he tried to put it into the machine-

"Damn it!" Zack cursed, "Why won't it go in!?"

"What in the world are you doing!?" Eddie exclaimed, "Just get the door open already!"

"What the fuck do you think I'm doing!?" He shouted as he kept on trying.

Faith's eyes widened underneath the mask at the way Zack was handling the card. "Wait, don't force the card-!"

 _ **SNAP!**_

At that point everyone froze at the sound. While Eddie, Faith and Zack had a look of distress, Kristen and Rachel looked confused as they weren't sure what had just happened.

"What?" Kristen asked, "What's the matter?"

"Is everything okay?" Rachel soon asked.

Zack took a sharp inhale as he showed them all what _**EXACTLY**_ happened, "I kind of… _**Broke the card.**_ " Kristen let out a gasp at this while Rachel's eyes widened when they saw the state of the card; it had been bent, nearly in half.

"That was… Our only way out of here…" Faith said as it had started to sink in while she fell to her knees.

" **YOU IDIOT!** " Eddie shouted as he started to hit him, " **HOW COULD RUIN OUR CHANCES OF GETTING OUT OF THIS GODFORSAKEN ROOM!** "

" **QUIT HITTING ME SHITTY BRAT!** " Zack yelled, " **IT'S NOT LIKE I DID IT ON PURPOSE!** "

" **FOR THE LAST TIME, I'M NOT A SHITTY BRAT! MY NAME IS EDDIE!** "

" **CALM THE FUCK DOWN SHITTY BRAT!** "

" **STOP CALLING ME THAT!** "

They were soon drawn to Cathy laughing again, " _This is so funny that I can't stop laughing!_ " She bawled of laughter again.

"You damn bitch…" Zack said before he pushed Eddie off of him, " **... WE'VE COME THIS FAR! IT MIGHT AS WELL OPEN! SO OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!** "

" _Now I can't do that!_ " Cathy said with a smile, " _Criminals have to obey the rules. Isn't that right Zack, Krissy~?_ "

Kristen just gritted her teeth and while Zack let out a growl. The sand in the timer finally ran out and music started to play. " _And now time is up!_ " Cathy said, " _Alright the wait is over! It's the moment you've all been waiting for! It's time for my special poison gas!_ "

They all jumped at the sound of an applause.

" _And now… You're all going to die~!_ "

With a laugh and a push of a button, green gas began to fill up the room. "Oh God!" Faith said as she started to panic, "Oh God, what do we do now!?"

"Faith try not to panic." Kristen told her.

"How can I not right now!?" Faith shouted, as she now threw off the mask, "This gas will kill us in a matter of minutes! The mask are worthless now!"

"There has to be something we can do to get out of here!" Eddie told them.

"That damn fucking bitch!" Zack yelled.

"Zack…" Rachel soon said, causing him to turn to her, "...The promise we made, can't be kept if we don't get out of here, right?"

"Huh!?" He shouted, "Why are you bringing this up now!?"

She soon looked to Kristen, "... And your favor… You can't return it if we die right now?"

"Rachel?" She said.

"Please just answer me." The child told them.

"Do we really have to answer right now!?" Zack said, "I don't know if you've noticed, but we're in a life and death situation!"

Kristen soon told her as she gently took her shoulders, "Listen to me Rachel. You, Faith and Eddie's safety is all that matters to me. But I can't do much right now. If you thought of anything that might help, than we have to know."

Rachel's expression changed slightly before she said, "I did think of something but…" She soon looked to the group, "... To be honest, I'm not sure if it'll even work. In fact… I'm not sure we'll even survive it." The group seemed to have tensed up a little, "Should I still try it?" Rachel asked them.

Faith soon answered after a gulp, "If it means a chance on getting us out of here, than I'd say go for it!"

"If anyone's got it, it's you Rachel!" Eddie said, "Even if we don't survive it, it'll beat dying in here!"

"I don't care what is…" Zack said with a smile, "... Just do it!"

Kristen gave her a smile as well, "Whatever is you're gonna do, I know it'll work."

Rachel only nodded before she turned to Faith, "Do you happen to have spare batteries?"

Faith at first didn't register her question, before she said, "Oh I do!" She took off her bag as she gotten out two batteries from a small pocket in her bag; she handed them off to Rachel. "Alright…" Rachel said, "... I just need a wire."

Eddie soon realized where they could a find a wire, as he picked up the piece that Zack had tossed earlier. "Here Rachel!" He said handing it to her.

"Wait a second…!" Kristen said before coughing, "... You're not planning on making a bomb are you?!"

"It's our best chance." Rachel replied as she wrapped the wire around the two batteries after getting a piece of cloth from her bag, "If the gas around us is flammable, than it'll catch fire and create an explosion."

"Whoa hang on now!" Zack said as he started to sound nervous, "I'm not fancy about blowing up you know!?"

"Ye-yeah!" Faith said fearfully, "Even if it does work, we'll have no way of protecting ourselves!"

"I got it!" Rachel said before setting the batteries just in front of the door. "You set it up that fast!?" Faith exclaimed.

"Crap we do we do now!?" Eddie exclaimed.

Kristen's eyes soon widened, "Eddie! Didn't you say that there was a safe?!"

"Safe?" Eddie at first didn't know what she had been talking about, until it hit him like a train, "Oh yeah the safe! We can take cover in there!"

"Go!" Kristen told them, "Go now!"

Just like that, Rachel and Faith stood up with Eddie leading them towards the safe. Kristen stood up as she had been about to follow them but the minute she stood up, her vision turned blurry and she found herself falling to the ground.

The last thing she heard was Zack calling out her name, just as the wire ignited.

( _ **Second Ending Theme: Another Ending Theme-Anamnesis Performed By annabel (anNina)**_ )


	13. Chapter 11 Epilogue: A Reason to Believe

" _ **... Those with red eyes, are said to be cursed…"**_

" _ **... It's because of you, they're dead!"**_

" _ **You should've died with them!"**_

" _ **You're red eyes… They really are ugly to look at."**_

 _ **...Why…?**_

" _ **You're nothing but a cursed child!"**_

" _ **If it only it was you instead, the man I loved-MY SISTER WOULD STILL BE HERE!"**_

… _**Why was I…?**_

" _ **You'll never belong anywhere, you damn freak."**_

" _ **Go back to the hole you came from!"**_

… _**Why was I born with red eyes…?**_

* * *

The first thing she expected when she woke up, was in hell or some part of the afterlife. Though she had been surprised when she didn't find any of that. Instead, she found herself sitting in what looked to be a hallway where the lights had dimmed. After her vision became clear she heard the sounds of someone breathing softly. She looked to her side and saw a familiar girl with long golden locks leaning against her.

"Ra...Chel…?" She groaned out of confusion.

"You know something Kris…"

Kristen had flinched at the sound of a familiar voice; when she turned to her right, she saw that Zack had been sitting beside her, his scythe just leaning against his shoulder.

"... If you're gonna try to play Guardian or some shit like that, the least you can do is stop scaring people."

"Zack…?" She said before coughing a little.

She soon saw just beside him had been Eddie and Faith asleep like Rachel had been. While Eddie was using a crate provided to sleep against, Faith laid was on her back using her backpack as a makeshift pillow.

"Where…" She said as moved a little, being careful as to not wake up Rachel, "... Where are we?"

"Where does it look like?" Zack replied, "We're outside of that room. Ray's plan worked like a charm." He let out a laugh, "Showed the bitch back there."

"I can see we're out of the room but…" Kristen said, "... What are we doing over here? And for that matter…?" She soon looked above her head, "... How come Cathy hasn't spotted us here?"

Zack let out a sigh as he rubbed the back of his head, "Well since your fat ass passed out I guess I can explain…"

* * *

- _ **Earlier**_ -

"Safe?" Eddie at first didn't know what she had been talking about, until it hit him like a train, "Oh yeah the safe! We can take cover in there!"

"Go!" Kristen told them, "Go now!"

Just like that, Rachel and Faith stood up with Eddie leading them towards the safe. Zack went to follow along with Kristen, but out of the corner of his eye he saw Kristen fall to the ground.

" **KRIS!** " He exclaimed as he ran over to her.

"Zack!" He heard Rachel call out, "Come on hurry!"

Zack clicked his tongue and looked to the woman on the floor.

"Damn it!"

He lifted her up off the ground, and ran towards the safe where the others had been. It had been a miracle that they all fit inside the safe, as he closed the door only keeping it partly open so that they would be able to get out.

The wire ignited and it had caused an explosion as Rachel had predicted; though it had been larger than any of them could've expected sa they were forced to shut their eyes from the blast; They shut their ears from the loud piercing sound it had made.

Finally after what was like to be an hour or two, the small group opened their eyes.

"Is it over?" Faith asked as she struggled to breath, "Are we still alive?"

"I-" Eddie said as he coughed a little, "I think so."

Zack went to open the door, but retracted his hand when he felt the hot metal surface. "Gah! Hot!" He said as he did this, "You sure it's safe?"

"It should be." Rachel said.

Zack soon stepped out of the safe, taking Kristen with him, after he threw her over his shoulder again. They stepped out of the room with the three of them close behind Zack. He had the biggest smile on their face as the smoke finally cleared. He laughed to himself, "You really blew the damn thing clean off. You showed that damn bitch!"

"Thank goodness…" Faith said softly, "... It really worked."

Zack flinched when heard multiple thumps. He looked and saw Rachel, Eddie and Faith on the ground. "Hey, get it together. I'm not a pack mule you know."

"Were we…" Rachel groaned, "... Useful to you…?"

"Yeah." Zack replied with a smile, "It wasn't for your quick thinking, that bitch's poison gas would've killed us." He soon looked over to Faith and Eddie, "You guys were pretty cool too, helping out Ray like that."

"Thanks…" Faith said with a tired smile.

"... I didn't think you were capable of commenting…" Eddie soon added.

"Tell anyone and you're dead." Zack told him, as he made a slit throat motion, causing Eddie to laugh a little, "You three can still move right?"

"Yeah…" Rachel replied as she sat herself, "We're okay…" Eddie and Faith did the same as they struggled to keep their eyes open. Cathy's voice soon came over the PA once more.

" _Now that's surprising!_ " Cathy said, " _You're all still alive after that! I opened the door as a special service to you all_."

"No shit we're out you dumb bitch!" Zack shouted as he flipped Cathy off. The three of them stood up from the floor; staggering slightly as they did. Rachel looked to Kristen as she let out a soft groan. "Kristen…?" Rachel said with worry in her voice, despite her expression remaining unchanged.

"Ah, the Red Eyes?" Zack said as he adjusted his hold on her, "She passed out, though she's still breathing."

Rachel breathed a sigh of relief, as she patted her hand, "Thank goodness."

Faith and Eddie breathed a sigh of relief since they heard Kristen was alright and still breathing. "We should go…" Faith said tiredly.

"Right…" Rachel said.

Thus the group started to move forward, with Zack leading the way. Despite having Kristen over his shoulder he had been able to keep up his pace. He couldn't say the same for the others. "Jesus, can't any of you walk any faster?!" He said.

"Sorry…" Faith said as she wobbled, "... We'll… Try…"

Zack merely clicked his tongue as he kept on walking forward; every now and than he would adjust Kristen slightly so that she wouldn't fall off. Rachel, Faith and Eddie's pace seemed to have slowed down slightly. They tried their best to keep up but they only failed to do so.

Eventually Zack found himself, dashing back towards them.

" **DO YOU REALLY EXPECT ME TO KEEP WALKING AT THIS PACE!?** " He shouted practically in their faces; though he didn't get any reaction out of them; not even so much as a flinch.

"Can you… Blame us…?" Eddie said, "... We're just… Really worn out…"

"You can take Kristen… And go on ahead…" Rachel soon suggested.

"Yeah…" Faith added, "... We'll catch up… Eventually…"

"I would if I could!" Zack said, "But you know I'll just end up getting stuck if I'm on my own! I would ask Kris for help, but I don't know when the fuck she's gonna wake up!"

"We'll try…" Rachel soon said.

" **WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN BY TRY!?** " Zack shouted at Rachel, " **TRY OR NOT WHEN YOU'RE GONNA DIE, YOU'RE GONNA DIE! MAYBE THAT'S WHAT** _ **YOU**_ **WANT, BUT IF YOU DIE WHAT HAPPENS TO WHAT** _ **THEY**_ **WANT!? WHAT** _ **I**_ **WANT!? HUH!?** "

"He's got you there…" Faith said to Rachel.

For a moment the child thought to herself as she soon said, "... I guess… That's true… We'll have to try… Even harder."

Zack let out an annoyed growl, "I know you're supposed to be smart Ray, but you're like a fucking doll. You're just saying the damn thing over and over again!"

"... What else… Should we do…?"

"Don't go asking me! You're human beings so think for yourselves!"

Faith soon let out a cough, before she suggested, "... We're not gonna… Get far with the way we are… Maybe if we can sleep… For a minute or two…?"

"Yeah…" Eddie soon added, "... In fact… I think we can all use some sleep right now…"

Rachel nodded before she turned to Zack, "Is it okay with you… If you wait a few minutes?"

Zack looked to the three, before taking a glance over to Kristen; he let out a sigh, "...Whatever."

* * *

"So… I found out there was a blind spot where the camera's wouldn't see us, and they feel asleep soon after." Zack finished, "You know the rest from there."

"That's what happened huh?" Kristen said as she leaned back, before she looked around the area, "I'm surprised that there was even a spot here that Cathy didn't bother to put her camera's."

"That bothers you?"

"Nah, not really. I'm just glad that there's a place where they can finally get some sleep."

Zack merely let out a huff, before he looked over to Rachel, "Ray was worried about you ya know?" He told her, "She didn't look it, but she was worried." Kristen stayed silent at this as she looked over to the child. He let out a sigh, "I know you told them you would keep them safe, but you gotta stop putting your life in danger, Red Eyes. You keep on doing that-"

"Zack." Kristen suddenly said taking him by surprise, when he realized her tone of voice changed, "I'm fine with you calling me Kris but… Could you… Stop calling me Red Eyes?"

Zack couldn't help but tilt his head, "Why not? That's the color of your eyes isn't it?"

Kristen clenched her hand as she bit the bottom of her lip, "It is. But…"

" _ **Those born with red eyes… Are said to be cursed…**_ "

" _ **... I hate the color of my eyes.**_ "

Zack's eyes widened slightly at this as he saw the look on her face. It looked as though she had made a look of disgust. He merely looked over to the wall in front of him as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Now that I think about it. That bitch…" He started to say, "... She said that you're eyes, are supposed to be cursed. What did she mean by that?"

He saw her arm start to shake when he asked her this. This time he saw her expression to something more fearful; Finally she spoke.

"... People that are born with red eyes… Are said to be cursed…" She said softly, "... At least… That's what my aunt told me, when she finally snapped."

"You're aunt?" Zack said surprised, "What about the people that was responsible of giving birth to you?"

She was a bit surprised to hear this as she looked to him, "You mean my mom and dad?" He only nodded at this. It hadn't been long before she added, "... No. They weren't like that at all. They told me, it was okay if I was born different from the others, and that I shouldn't worry about what others thought. They promised they would stay by my side forever… But… In the end…"

At that point she seemed to break.

Before his very eyes, he saw tears fall from her eyes and onto her hand.

" _ **... They ended up breaking it…**_ " She said with her voice cracking, "... They were killed when I was six. Someone ran into them with their car, and fled… Even when they did find the person responsible, they ended up making up some bullshit story…" She ended up covering her face with her hands, as the tears continued to fall.

"My Aunt…" She said, "My Aunt said… She would love me… Like mom and dad did… But she ended up loathing me instead. She told me that… I was the reason… My parents were dead… And abandoned me… Everyone said I was beautiful but… They talked behind my back, saying that I was ugly… They said I was a curse… She promised she would never leave but… But-"

"That's you're reasoning huh?"

Kristen had been taken back when Zack had cut her off; her hands still covered her face as to contain her tears. "What… Do you mean?" Kristen said with her voice shaking a little.

"I was wondering for awhile, why you kept on asking if I was telling the truth, even though I told you I hate lies." He said, "Now I know. It's because asses like your Aunt kept on telling you one lie after another. In the end, you just stopped believing anyone would ever tell you the truth. Right?"

Once more Kristen stayed silent as she sniffled. She didn't even bother to stop the other tears from coming.

"Kris…" She heard Zack say, "... Show me your face."

"N-No…" She said, "... You'll just laugh… Or maybe you'll tell me what others have said over the years…"

Kristen had been taken back when she felt his hands on hers. Despite her fighting back a little he successfully pulled her hands from her face. She felt his hands grasp underneath her chin and turned her over to him. He looked directly into her eyes as Kristen found herself frozen, like a deer caught in headlights.

"I don't what the fuck everyone else is talking about." Zack said, keeping her still, as she continued to fidget, "You're eyes are normal to me."

He saw that tears had started to run down her face, as her body shook underneath his hands. "Stop it…" She said with her voice shaking, "... Stop saying shit like that to make me feel better…"

"Who said I was?" Zack said, "I'm just stating the facts. Whoever told you otherwise is just fucking delusional."

Kristen couldn't help but cry harder, as she couldn't find anything else to say or rebuttal with his comment, or at least she thought was a comment. No matter how she tried she couldn't get the tears to stop flowing.

Zack on the other hand, didn't know how to respond or react; sure he's had people cry in front of but they mostly cried out of fear. Right now, she had been crying because she was… Upset? Honestly Zack couldn't tell. He couldn't help but find this situation familiar.

"Look Re-" Zack began to say, stopping himself for a moment "-Kris. I'm not gonna make fun of you right now. There is nothing wrong with your eyes. They're not a part of some superstitious bullshit. They _**ARE**_ normal. And-" Zack let out a groan as looked away from Kristen; she could almost swear that he looked embarrassed, "-You're not ugly. You're actually… Pretty."

Kristen looked to Zack just shocked; she looked as though as she stopped crying as she had been too baffled by what he just told her.

"Did you just…" She started to say, "... Compliment me?"

" **SHUT UP!** " He yelled suddenly taking her back, " **DON'T READ TOO MUCH INTO IT, ALRIGHT!?** " He soon turned his head away from her, before she could say anything more, "Anyway, you should hurry and go back to sleep! You don't know when the hell you're gonna get this kind of a chance again!"

Kristen though she had still been shock nodded her head in response. Zack froze up when he felt Kristen put her head on his shoulder after she moved Rachel so that she had been laying down on her lap.

"Zack…?" She soon said, as her eyes closed shut, "... Thank you."

Before Zack knew it, Kristen had fallen asleep as she began to breathe softly.

"She even looks cute while sleeping…"

Zack had been taken back at this, "Why the fuck am I even thinking about that?!"

He soon noticed that his vision started to blur up a bit and his body started to shake a little as he looked to his own hand; it hadn't been long before he started to see Kristen shiever as she slept. With a click of his tongue, he placed the scythe against the wall, before putting his arm around Kristen, bringing her closer to him, her shivering seemed to have stopped.

"This is so damn annoying…"

Zack soon shut his eyes, before his mind, entered a deep slumber as he leaned his head on hers.


	14. Chapter 12: A Man or a Tool?

Faith had been the first to wake up from the group. She let out a yawn as she sat herself up, fixing up her bed head while she had been at it. After rubbing her eyes, she put on her glasses she had set aside earlier before she fell asleep.

"Well… Least the sleep did wonders. I feel better already."

She soon looked over to the group to see if they were up and about as well. She wasn't surprised when she saw that they had still been sound asleep.

She sighed as she shook her head, "I shouldn't wake them up just yet. I'll let them sleep a little while longer."

Though Faith had really been surprised when she looked over in Zack's direction. She expected to see him still up and about. She didn't expect to see him sound asleep, with his arm around Kristen; their heads had been touching one another as Zack had been letting out light snores.

"Well… At least they're not trying to kill each other."

Faith started to look through her bag, as she took out her own profile, reading through it for a second time. Her hands shook at the words written below. She crumpled the paper up before she tossed it away.

"It's fine… It's all fine…" She said to herself, "... I'll find a place to hide, after I get out… That way I won't have to worry about… _**Them**_ anymore… Won't I… _**Brother?**_ "

Suddenly Faith heard something peculiar, just echoing down the hall.

 _ **On the farm, every Friday**_

 _ **On the farm, it's rabbity pie die**_

 _ **So every Friday, that ever comes along**_

 _ **I get up early and sing this little song**_

"That sound… A gramophone…?"

Faith went to get up, though for a brief moment she looked back to the small group. She knew they would wake up soon, and she certainly didn't anyway to worry about her. She took a deep breath.

"It'll only be for a quick second."

With that being said, Faith stood up from the floor as she followed the sound down the hall, leaving her backpack behind. Eventually she had entered the darkened hallway as she couldn't see what had been in front of her. Soon enough, she came to a lone gramophone that had been sitting in the middle of the path.

 _ **Run, rabbit, run, rabbit, run run run**_

 _ **Run, rabbit, run, rabbit, run run run**_

 _ **Bang, bang, bang! Goes the farmer's gun**_

 _ **So run rabbit, run, rabbit, run run run**_

As the song continued to play Faith fixed up her glasses as she examined it.

"What is this doing here…? For that matter… How did it get… Here?"

Her thoughts had trailed off as she noticed something inside the speaker. She couldn't tell what it was at first, but once her eyes adjusted to the darkness around she was surprised to see what had been sitting there in the speaker. She picked up the object giving it a closer examination.

"A… _**Black rose?**_ "

And just like that, she felt something hard hit the back of her head, before passing out; the last thing she heard was the music from the gramophone.

 _ **Run rabbit, run, rabbit run run run**_

* * *

( _ **Second Opening Theme: Blood + Opening 1-Tears of Heaven Performed By Takashi Hitomi**_ )

 _He hated being in this place._

 _With every fiber of his being he hated being here._

 _The smell, the couple that lived there, the fact that it practically rained everyday._

 _He hated all of it._

 _Though he did what he did best._

 _He always survived._

 _Every chance he got he snuck into the kitchen or opened one of the bags they disposed off or left lying around in the house. He would tear open a part of the bag, and get all the food that didn't looked to be moldy, and started to stuff it down his throat._

 _It hadn't been long before he heard voices coming from nearby._

" _The child that arrived just last month…" A woman had said, "... I noticed the stench and realized they were already dead."_

" _So what?" A man said, "Just put it in the backyard."_

" _Are you sure that's a good idea?"_

" _No one's gonna come here to see a bunch of kids who get dumped here for a couple of pennies."_

 _He heard the woman groan, "I'm sick of burying bodies."_

" _Oh, so it's about you now?" The man said, "Hey, I know. Why don't you get that brat to do it?"_

 _He flinched at this, as he swallowed what had been in his mouth. He knew that they had been talking about him. The quote on quote chore they got him to do everytime they found another body lying around in the house._

 _Another thing he hated more than being in that hell of a place._

" _Nothing better to finish off a brat than another brat."_

* * *

" _ **Za..! Za...ck…! Zack!**_ "

Zack felt himself being shaken roughly as his eyes opened. Even when his eyes had been open, he just found himself rocking back and forth, courtesy of Kristen. "Stop! Stop it!" Zack shouted as he grabbed her wrists, "I'm awake damn it!"

He looked up and as he saw Rachel, Eddie and her standing in front of them, as they looked to be distressed.

"The hell is wrong with you guys?" He asked.

"It's Faith." Rachel soon replied, "She's gone."

Zack's eyes widened slightly as he quickly stood; the space where Faith had slept had been empty. At this he gritted his teeth.

"The damn four eyes-" He said with a growl, "-Don't tell me she ran after all!"

"That couldn't be right." Eddie said, before holding her bag, "If she was going to run, she would've taken her stuff with her, but it's been left behind."

"Than… What happened to her?" Zack asked them.

"We don't know…" Rachel replied, "... Though it could be possible she decided to see what was ahead."

Zack stayed silent at this as he couldn't help but think to himself as the rest seemed to have her own thoughts. "Oh God-" Kristen started to say aloud, "-What if Cathy had something to do with it!? What if she's torturing her!? What-"

" **WOULD YOU SHUT UP!?** " Zack suddenly shouted as he gave her a slap on the head, " **STOP LOSING YOU SHIT OVER THE SMALLEST THINGS, DAMN IT!** "

Kristen froze up at his tone of voice, and Rachel and Eddie flinched as the tone of his voice seemed to have sounded aggressive. Zack soon picked up his scythe as he started to mumble to himself; though they couldn't understand him as it had sounded incoherent.

"Zack…?" Rachel soon asked, "... Are you okay?"

"I'm- _ **FINE.**_ " He told her as he still sounded aggressive.

"You don't sound fine." Kristen told him.

Zack soon looked to Kristen as he had a glare which took her back a bit, he told her, "Because of you I, I had dream that's got me pissed."

Kristen couldn't help but give a quizzical look at this as Zack had walked ahead of them; Rachel and Eddie seemed to have been processing what had just happened, as they both looked to one another. "Come on you two." Kristen said to them, "We should go, but stay close. Who knows what could be up ahead."

Rachel and Eddie gave a nod, before they started to follow Kristen and Zack after Eddie put Faith's bag over his shoulder. Though Rachel soon stopped when she noticed a crumpled up piece of paper on the ground. She picked it up, as she had uncrumpled it, looking at its continents.

"Faiths profile…"

She read what had been underneath her name, though her eyes widened slightly.

"Rachel!"

She flinched slightly though quickly calmed down, when she saw it had only been Eddie. "What are you doing?" He asked, before he took her hand, "Come on!"

She allowed him to pull her in a certain direction, though not before she had put Faiths profile into her bag.

As expected there had been no light to guide them to the next door; Kristen felt herself about to lose it, though Zack took her hand as to keep her calm. She couldn't help but think as to why Zack had been angry as she felt him grip his hand a bit too tightly.

Because of her?

What did he mean by that?

She just couldn't put her finger on it, no matter how hard she tried.

Soon enough, a familiar voice came over the PA.

" _Well, well~_ " Cathy said, " _And here I thought you went off and died!_ "

"Shut up you bitch!" Zack shouted.

" _Well, it's no matter._ " She said nonchalantly, " _No need to have the temper._ "

"What have you done with Faith!?" Kristen soon said.

Cathy had paused for a moment as she pondered, " _Now whatever do you mean?_ "

"Our friend you jerk!" Eddie said, "She was with us, and now she's gone! You obviously had something to do with it!"

Cathy pondered, and pondered before she had come to a conclusion. " _Oh the one with the glasses!"_ She said, " _I have a special punishment planned for her! A friend of my own had been kind enough to bring her to me! Worry not, she'll be joining us soon!_ "

"You're friend?" Rachel wondered aloud.

"If you think about hurting her-!" Kristen said.

" _Now now Krissy, no need to get your panties in a twist._ " Cathy said, " _I won't hurt her…_ _ **Yet**_ _._ "

Kristen couldn't help but glare at this, as Cathy laughed. She soon spoke up again, " _I wanna get serious for a moment… How about it? Have any of you changed your mind about spending the rest your life in a cell?_ "

"Like I said before, who the fuck would want something like that!?" Zack shouted.

" _Ah~ You're no fun._ " Cathy said, " _So you won't become tools for my entertainment?_ "

The group had been taken back by her words.

" _I heard that you made a silly promise._ " Cathy told them, " _One that only forces each others desires onto one another. It appears that you only want the same thing… But aren't you both just deciding to be the others tool?_ _I wonder… Out of all of you…_ _ **Which one is the real tool**_ _?_ "

"The fuck does that mean!?" Zack exclaimed.

" _Oh? Don't you know?_ " She said.

Kristen winced slightly when she felt Zack tighten it, though it only caused her pain. She couldn't help but think if it was because Cathy's words.

" _That's okay._ " Cathy soon said, " _I find idiots cute too._ " She giggled, " _Please continue and enjoy your punishment!_ "

Most of them jumped when Zack kicked the wall suddenly after he let go of Kristen's hand. "That damn bitch!" Zack grumbled.

"Jesus Zack!" Eddie said.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Rachel asked.

Zack didn't reply as he grabbed Kristen's hand and had been about to make his way down the hall with her in tow. Though he felt her give a slight tug, as Kristen couldn't move. He turned and saw that a hand had grabbed her ankle. Kristen, Eddie and Rachel saw that the hand that grabbed her had been discolored and thin looking as they saw the person's bones; all that could be heard was the sound of a raspy groan.

Kristen merely flinched when Zack suddenly stomped on the person's wrist, dismembering it.

"All I did was step on 'em and look what happened." Zack said, "I may be dumb, but I'm not stupid enough to want to stay in a cell for the rest of my life. Let's go."

He went to go only to tug on Kristen's arm again. He noticed the look on her face as she looked to whoever had been in the cell.

"Don't worry about him Kris." He told her, "He's dying anyway."

"... He's already dead." Rachel said softly.

"Oh, is that so?" He said nonchalantly, "Let's go."

They started to walk down the hall again as Kristen couldn't help but feel solemn for a stranger; though whatever the case and circumstance maybe she had to keep moving forward. Still… She couldn't help but think she could've helped him in some way.

They eventually reached a room at the end of the hall. The room had been smaller compared to the ones before and on the floors she saw the words worker and navigator. The room contained a desk with many shelves that had red lights and a single book laid in front of it. The other desk had a dollhouse and looked to be surrounded by a gate. Kristen approached the dollhouse, as she saw what it had contained.

A woman in a blue dress, a man with a white collared shirt and gray pants and what looked to be children, both of them laying in the bed. A small box that looked to contain fresh dirt with a hole freshly dug up with a pile of dirt next to it.

There also looked to be two dolls of children. The two of them looked to be boys; one with bandages and the other didn't. The boy with bandages had a white shirt with blue shorts, while the other had a light shirt with jeans that rolled up just enough to show his ankles and he had short black hair. The boy with the bandages had been just by the trash, while the other had been in the attic.

"That doll…" Kristen said, looking to the one with bandages, "... It looks a lot like-"

She soon noticed that Zack had been beside her, as his look changed. It looked to be sad as he looked at the dollhouse.

"Zack…?" She started to say, "... Are you-?"

The music had started up again making most of them jump; Cathy appeared on the screen again.

" _Hi~_ " She said, " _Welcome and congratulations on making it this far!_ " She soon noticed that Kristen and Zack had been in front of the dollhouse, " _Oh would you look at that! Do you two like my dollhouse?_ "

"That damn bitch…" Kristen heard Zack say.

She noticed his tone of voice, before she glared at Cathy, "What the hell kind of a game are you playing?!"

" _... All in good time Krissy, be patient!_ " Cathy said, " _If you and Zack can't behave than you'll never get your friend or get out of here._ "

The door they came through slammed shut, locking them in. " _Now here's the deal-_ " Cathy began to say, " _-Out of all of you, there will be a navigator and the other will be the worker. When you solve the riddle, the other will do what you say. Easy, right?_ "

"Well…?" Kristen heard Zack say, "... What should we do?"

"Why are you asking me?" Kristen asked him.

"Because you're basically the leader." He told her, as she just looked surprised, "Or did you forget that?"

Kristen looked to Rachel and Eddie as they both waited for what Kristen had to say. She didn't know what Cathy had been thinking, since this kind of thing seemed too simple, though… As far as she knew she didn't have much of a choice.

" _We gotta do this for Faith…_ "

Finally she turned to the children, "Rachel, Eddie. You two be the Navigator. Zack and I will stay here."

Rachel and Eddie nodded as they both went over to where the floor had been labeled navigator.

" _Alright than…_ " They heard Cathy say, " _... Let the game begin!_ "

With the push of a button one of the drawers lit up with green before it had slid open. Eddie took out what had been inside.

"It looks like a math problem." Eddie said as he showed it to Rachel, "But I can't make any sense of it."

She looked to the problem on the paper; she started to put her brain to work.

"L is 27." She started to say, "W is 12. P is 226."

"Whoa, you were able to solve it that quickly?" Eddie said impressed.

"It's just easy." Rachel merely replied with a shrug.

"Hey!" They soon heard Zack say, "What do we do here!?"

"Zack." Kristen said softly yet stern; he flinched at this sort of tone, "Just give them a minute, they'll figure it out."

Eddie and Rachel thought about the problem, twice or maybe three times as they were trying to figure out what it meant. That was until they both looked to the book.

"Rachel, you don't think-" Eddie said.

"-Yeah, I think so." Rachel answered.

She took the book as she started to flip through the pages, "The 'P' is for page, 'L' is for line and 'W' is for word…"

They soon gotten to the page in the book, "Page 226, line 27, and the twelfth word is-"

"There!" Eddie said pointing to the twelth word, "That must be it!"

" _ **Man…**_ " Rachel read.

She flipped through the page, finding the next word.

" _ **... Living.**_ " Eddie soon said.

She flipped through the pages again.

" _ **...Room…**_ " They both said.

"Any luck?" Kristen soon asked.

"I think we figured it out!" Eddie said.

"Zack." Rachel said, "Put the man in the living room on the sofa."

With a click of his tongue Zack went and did just that; taking the doll of the man from the bed, he put it on the sofa. The minute he did however, they were startled by a woman's scream; Kristen looked and saw it came from the television as it played what looked to be that of a horror film.

"What the-?" Kristen said as she couldn't help but find it familiar.

Cathy appeared on the screen again.

" _My what a distasteful movie!_ " She said, " _Zack, Krissy? Doesn't it make your skin crawl?_ "

" **DON'T TALK TO US BITCH!** " Zack yelled.

" _Aw… Now that's no fun._ " Cathy said sarcastically.

"Okay, we got the next equation." Eddie said, "Put the woman doll, next to the man's right."

Kristen saw Zack's body shake as he grabbed the woman doll before putting on the left side of the man. "That's the wrong side." Kristen told him gently, which surprised him again. Though the moment had soon been lost, when Cathy spoke again.

" _The right hand holds the knife, and left holds the fork. Remember?_ " She said.

Zack let out a growl at this, and he went to yell again, but-

"Hey Cathy…" Kristen soon said before she flipped her off, "... **SHUT THE HELL UP!** "

The group had been taken back, seeing as how they haven't seen Kristen act like that before. Zack had been especially shocked by this sort thing, but quickly shook it off. Kristen soon took the doll and placed it on the right; though they had been taken back when the woman's doll move with the wheels provided under its feet.

" _Ah, so you're picking up pieces for Zack?_ " Cathy said, " _Aren't you a good gi-_ "

" **SHUT UP YOU BITCH!** " Zack yelled.

The next drawer opened, and Rachel had been quick to solve the equation again. This time however, she had been surprised by the next set of directions. Eddie's eyes widened when he read what the book had provided.

"Did you guys solve it?" Kristen asked as she noticed they were both too quiet.

"Uh, yeah…" Eddie replied hesitantly.

"Well, what is it?" Zack asked.

"... Put the girl doll in the hole…" Rachel said.

Kristen's eyes widened at this, "... A girl doll…?"

"Are you sure you read that right?" Zack said looking to the dolls, "There ain't a girl doll in here!"

" _Oh there is a girl doll alright~!_ " Cathy said, " _She's right there in the attic._ "

Zack and Kristen looked shocked as they looked to the doll in the attic. Zack was about to pick up and but Kristen beated him to it, as she held it in the palm of her hand.

She looked closely at the dolls appearance as she found herself shaking.

Another image in her head seemed to pass her by; the image in her head looked blurry, though she could've sworn she was being dragged, and thrown somewhere. She remembered crying for help, but found the image darkening around her. Just from this, she couldn't help but feel sick to her stomach, as she found herself nearly gagging just at the mere picture that appeared in her head.

" _Now, what ever could be the matter Krissy?_ " Cathy said sounding gleeful, " _Reminiscing now, are we…?_ "

" **I TOLD YOU TO STOP TALKING!** " Zack shouted.

"Zack." Rachel said, "Put the girl-"

" **I KNOW DAMN IT!** " He yelled, grabbing the doll out of Kristen's hand, seemingly snapping her out of the trance.

He put the doll in the hole so that it had been laying on it's back.

"... Put the man by the hole… Give him a shovel… " Eddie soon said before he was shocked by the next of words, "... _**And bury the girl doll…**_ "

Even Zack had been taken back by this direction as he looked to the girl doll in the hole.

Kristen looked completely horrified as she watched Zack put the man by the hole, giving him a shovel. With his hand shaking, he pushed the pile of dirt on top of the girl doll. Kristen had started to hyperventilate as she found the scene appearing again and again in her head.

"Oh God…" Kristen said, as she fell to her knees as she held her head, "... Oh God… Oh God… Oh God…"

"Kristen!?" Eddie exclaimed out of worry, "What's wrong!?"

"Oh God-I-I remember-I remember-" She started to say, "-That man-He-He-He-"

" _Oh now don't look so upset Krissy~_ " Cathy said enjoying the sight, " _Zack is doing such a good job, being done as he is told!_ "

Zack couldn't help but feel his blood boil as he looked to Kristen, before looking to the doll that had been currently buried. He found himself in a sense of deja vu as he watched Kristen go through a panic attack.

"We have to continue." Rachel said.

"But what about Kristen?" Eddie asked, "She doesn't look good."

"I know, but… If we don't finish this riddle, we won't be able to find Faith and get out of here." She told him. Eddie though he had been hesitant, couldn't help but agree. He gotten the next equation before she solved it.

"Put the doll with bandages in front of the woman doll." Eddie said.

Zack looked to the doll with bandages as he felt his rage steadily growing in him. He held the doll in his hands looking down at it.

"Zack?" Rachel said, "Put the doll in front of the woman."

Zack let out another growl, before he finally placed the bandage doll in front of the woman doll.

"Now, give the bandaged doll a plastic bag." Rachel said.

Zack's body shook at this, as he now glared at the dolls as he growled. The two of them seemed to notice this. "Zack…?" Eddie said.

"What's wrong?" Rachel asked him.

" _You only need to do what you're told…_ " Cathy said, " _... That's not so difficult… Is it Zack?_ "

At this Zack snapped.

" **YOU DAMN BITCH!** " He yelled.

Eddie and Rachel's eyes widened when they saw Zack lift his scythe readying to destroy the dollhouse. He went to take a swing-

" **NO!** "

Kristen suddenly stood up from the ground and practically tackled him, making him nearly stumble. He froze at fact that her body had been against his own.

"Zack…" He heard say as he felt her body shake, "... Please… You can't…I know it's hard… But you can't..."

"... Kris…" Zack said as he didn't know what he should do about this, or for that matter why he felt a strange, yet familiar sensation in his chest.

" _Now that was close!_ " Cathy said, " _If you broke that, you'll never be able to get out of here._ "

Zack growled at the way Cathy spoke to him; he felt his anger coming back to him, though didn't make a move to shove Kristen away from him. Rachel and Eddie looked to one another before she spoke up again, "Put the bandaged doll's-"

" **I FUCKING KNOW!** " Zack yelled causing Kristen to flinch.

Despite Kristen still being against him, Zack put the plastic bag in the bandaged doll's hand. He than put it next to the woman, and the dolls started to move on it's own again till it had been outside of the dollhouse. The two looked to be by a dumpster as it had been supposed to simulate a backyard that had been next to the fresh pile of dirt.

"Give the shovel to the bandaged doll." Rachel said after solving another equation.

" _There's no thinking required~_ " Cathy said.

Zack had been about to lose it again but felt Kristen give a tug on his hoodie. He looked to her, as he saw she still had been shaking. He knew he was pissed at this sure, but he could tell she was suffering… Probably as much as he was angry.

"Zack." Eddie said, "We gotta hurry!"

Zack only flinched as he went to put his hand on her shoulder, but-

"Zack-" Rachel said, "- _ **Do as I say**_."

Zack froze at this as he could've sworn, Rachel's voice had changed to a voice he couldn't but find irritating. He put the shovel in the doll's hand as he had been shocked by what the doll did next...

... _ **The doll began to dig.**_

* * *

- _ **Years Ago**_ -

 _Zack felt himself being tossed in the mud, by the woman. Though he managed to pick himself up from the ground as he looked to the woman with a glare which made her flinch._

" _Wha-What's with that look in your eyes?" She said irritated._

 _Zack only stayed silent as he stood, picking up the shovel, before he started to dig._

 _The woman only laughed at this, "That's it. That's all you have to do."_

 _Thus the woman left him to do his work, not even aware that he gave a hateful look in her direction. He hated this. All of it… Every fiber of his being he hated it._

 _They always put him up to this._

 _Whenever they had quote on quote trash to put away, they get him to bury it in the backyard. He had been here so many times he couldn't keep count._

 _He had to think of someway he could put a stop to all of this. He wanted to get rid of them, but he did know how._

 _He soon heard the voices coming from inside the house as he stopped digging for a moment._

" _You're watching this movie again?" He heard the lady say._

" _I just love seeing these carefree morons get slaughtered." The man said._

 _As he picked up his head, he looked inside; he saw the lady give a look disgust, "How distasteful."_

" _Shut up." The man told her, "So what happened to the brat?"_

" _He didn't want to do it at first…" The woman replied as she started to drink from her glass, "... But when I ordered him to, he did it without another word."_

" _Even a monster like that can turn into a good useful_ _ **tool**_ _if you let him live."_

" _I see, that's certainly convenient."_

" _That thing is a tool!"_

" _Such a tool!"_

 _He heard the two gave a laugh, as Zack's body shook at the word. Tool-That word he hated most of all._

* * *

"I'm…" Zack started to say, as he watched the doll continue to dig, "... I'm… I'm…"

Rachel and Eddie looked to on another again as they couldn't help but find Zack's behavior to be strange. Kristen on the other hand kept herself close to Zack as she could still feel his body shaking with anger despite her own body shaking too.

" _See Zack?_ " Cathy said, " _You can do it, if you try! Just like a very convenient tool!_ "

Zack gritted his teeth, as he finally put his arm around Kristen, and tighten the grip on his scythe.

"I'm… Not- _ **A FUCKING TOOL!**_ "

With one swing the doll house and dolls had been smashed into a thousand pieces, making Rachel and Eddie jump.

"Zack…?" Rachel said with worry.

" _Now, look what you did to my work of art._ " Cathy said, " _After all the work I put into making it…_ " She shrugged, " _Oh well, I won't be needing it anymore. Go ahead and proceed to the next room_."

The TV screen turned to black as the gate between the four of them closed shut, leaving Zack and Kristen together and Eddie and Rachel with each other.

"Guys…?" Eddie said, noticing how quiet they had gotten.

Zack did say anything as he looked to Kristen. He tightened his grip on her as he couldn't help but lean into the embrace as he soon heard Kristen cry softly in his chest; neither of them said anything before he took her hand, and left through the door provided.

"Kristen looked upset, and I think Zack was annoyed." Eddie pointed out as he turned to Rachel.

"I guess so…" She said solemnly, "... It might have something to do with the dollhouse Cathy made."

"Maybe." Eddie said, "Anyway, we should go catch with up them."

Rachel nodded and they through the door provided for them before they proceeded down the hall.

* * *

Kristen and Zack both stayed silent as they kept their hands intertwined with one another. Though as they were halfway down the hall they both stopped.

"Kris…" Zack started to say as he looked over his shoulder, "...That girl doll back there… _**It was supposed to be you…**_ Wasn't it…?"

Kristen looked up to him as her cheeks looked to be puffy and the tears had been dried up. Kristen's lip trembled, as she struggled to reply, "... Maybe… I'm sorry… I don't know."

Zack finally looked to her, "... I guess this explains why you're afraid of the dark, doesn't it?"

Kristen let out go of his hand as she buried her face into her palms, she finally started to sob as they had been muffled. "Oh God…" She said, "... I don't want to remember it-But I do! That man-He tried to kill me! That man tried to kill me!"

"... Why did the old bastard do it?" He asked her.

"Why do you think!?" She yelled, "It's because of my fucking eyes! He was like my Aunt! He blamed me for the death of my mom and dad!"

Zack's expression remained unchanged as Kristen continued on, "People literally tried to kill me because of these fucking things! Because of my goddamn colored eyes I was born with! They're literally a fucking curse that almost got me killed! Hell, I'm in this situation because of-"

Kristen had been cut off suddenly when she felt a sting against her cheek; Turns out Zack had slapped slapped her. She noticed the look on his face as he looked to be pissed.

"If you so much as repeat that phrase-" He said, "-I swear I'm going to kill you where your standing!"

Kristen said nothing as she looked to him with eyes as wide as dinner plates; She had been about to say something when she felt him grab her by the neck of the shirt.

"I already told you before didn't I!?" He practically shouted in her face, "Your eyes are fine! They're fucking normal! Stop believing those bullshit lies! It's annoying the hell out of me!"

"Za-"

" **SHUT THE FUCK UP! I AIN'T DONE TALKING!** "

Kristen flinched a little at this sudden tone as Zack held a glare on her; though from looking at his hand, she could've sworn she saw that it had been shaking.

"Ever since we got to this shithole of a floor, you've done nothing but repeat the same damn thing, over and over again!" He stated angrily, "Over and over, and over again you and that bitch have been spouting out the same shit, over and over and over! You know what!? I am _**SICK**_ of hearing you talk about it! I am _**SICK**_ of hearing you the same damn thing! I told you before, it's nothing more than some superstitious bull shit! Stop believing everyone's goddamn lies! Stop listening what they told you!"

"Za-"

" **STOP BEING A GODDAMN TOOL FOR THEM!** "

Kristen froze as she noticed Zack's body started to shake. His scythe dropped with a clang as she felt him let go of her and did something that she didn't think she would see from him. He fell to his knees, she heard him take a shaky breath, as he covered his face with his hands.

Kristen soon kneeled before him as she noticed tears began to fall from his face.

"... You're not a tool…" He said with his voice cracking a little, "... You're not a fucking tool…"

Her gaze softened as she looked to the man before her. It was strange… Not sometime ago, he gave off a terrifying aura, that would scare even the most bravest of men, and yet now… He looked helpless before her very eyes.

Like that of a child…

Slowly she reached out to him, when her hands came into contact he instinctively flinched back, though she had shushed him, before she had finally put her arms around him so that her face had been resting in between his collarbone and neck.

"... And you're not one either… Zack…" He heard her say softly.

Zack couldn't stop his tears from falling, but at that point he didn't care. Hesitantly, he put his arms around her returning her embrace tightening his grip ever so slightly, letting the silence overtake them.

( _ **Second Ending Theme: Another Ending Theme-Anamnesis Performed By annabel (anNina)**_ )


	15. Chapter 13: I Ask One Thing

( _ **Second Opening Theme: Blood + Opening 1-Tears of Heaven Performed By Takashi Hitomi**_ )

Rachel and Eddie reached the next room, and needless to say they were both a bit shocked. The room they had entered and they were surprised by the sight of it. For inside the next room, it had contained two tables; each separated with a metal fence and two tables sat in the very middle of it.

It didn't contain much, expect two needles filled with a substance neither of them were familiar with. The only way out had been the doors on the opposite end, but of course they had been locked.

"... What kind of a room is this?" Eddie wondered aloud, "Why the syringes…?"

Rachel looked to the otherside of the fence, noting it had been empty.

"... I wonder where Zack and Kristen are…" Rachel said, "... I wish we could go and look for them."

"...Yeah…" Eddie said, "... I'm worried about them too… But I'm more worried about Faith. Who knows what Cathy could be doing to-"

The two of them had been startled, when the other door opened; Kristen and Zack stepped through it.

"Guys, there you are!" Eddie exclaimed with relief, "Rachel and I were getting worried!"

Rachel soon noticed the look on their faces, as they appeared to be exhausted emotionally.

"... Is everything okay?" Rachel asked.

Kristen turned to her as she reassured her, "Don't worry sweetheart. We're just a little tired, that's all."

"...Oh." Rachel said, though her voice still had been strained with worry.

"The fuck kind of room did we walk into now?" Zack asked as he took notice of all that surrounded them.

"We don't know." Eddie replied, "But looks like both of the other doors are locked."

The four of them had been taken back, when the music started up again; that's when they looked above their heads and noticed they saw an observation deck blocked with windows. The doors within the observation deck provided opened and a familiar woman stepped inside.

It was Cathy.

"Hello~" She said in a sing song fashion, "How nice to finally meet you all in person!"

"... Oh, terrific." Kristen couldn't help but say sarcastically.

"Hey sadistic bitch!" Zack yelled, "What the hell do you want now!?"

Cathy gave a fake yet dramatic gasp, "How rude of you Zack! You would dare take a tone with such a beautiful lady? I can understand someone like Krissy, but moi?"

" **WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT MEAN!?** " He yelled in a pissed off tone, while Kristen just looked to him surprised.

"Where's Faith?!" Eddie said, "We want to talk to her!"

"Oh don't worry about her Edward!" Cathy said, "She'll be joining us in the next room! As I told you, I have a special punishment in mind for her~!"

"... Than what do we do next?" Rachel asked her.

"Why, that's simple really!" She said before pointing towards the syringes on the table, "All you have to do is give yourself a shot, and the doors will open for you." The four of them looked to the syringes on the table; Kristen picked up hers on their side, while Rachel took the one on her and Eddies side as they looked to the substance.

"... It can't be that easy…" Kristen said under her breath, before she looked to Cathy, "... What's the catch to this?"

"My, my, you catch on quick Krissy." Cathy said cheerfully before she explained, "The syringes you see before have different types of drugs. One contains harmless vitamins… The other… _**Has a dangerous drug**_."

The groups eyes widened at this as they looked to the syringes again. "Well than which is!?" Zack said to Cathy, "Which ones got the vitamins!?"

Cathy gave a laugh, as she held onto her stomach, before she lost it, "I'm not telling you… _**In fact, I forgot**_!" She soon got her smile back again, "Inject every last drop of it into your veins, and I'll happily open the door for you all."

She soon gave a bow as she said, "Other than that, best of luck to you all, and remember… Faith is waiting for you~"

Cathy soon took her leave, as the four of them had been alone once again. "Rachel." Kristen said approaching the fence, "Let me see the syringe."

Rachel nodded and approached the fence, holding the syringe through the gap between the fence; Kristen held the syringe in her hand as she compared it to the one she had.

" _... They both look the same._ " She thought to herself, " _There's no way to tell which one has the drug. Meaning… There's only one way to know for sure._ "

"So than…" Zack said, "... Do any of you have an idea which is which?"

"No." Rachel replied.

"Sorry, graves are more my speciality." Eddie said.

Zack clicked his tongue, "Damn it, I figured. I can't tell either."

The group had suddenly been taken back when Kristen took the syringe from Rachel's hand; she started to back up from Zack as she removed the gun and knife from herself, "Hey Kris, what the hell are you-?!" Zack started to say.

"Just stay back!" Kristen told him as she held both of the syringes to her arm, "And if at all possible… Be ready to stop me."

"Woah, woah, hey!" Eddie said, "What are you going to do!?"

Kristen looked to the kids, as her gaze softened a little; they could see her hand had been shaking a little.

She told them after she gulped, "... _**I'm going to inject myself with both of them.**_ "

Rachel and Eddie gasped in horror while Zack looked shocked. Kristen continued on, "I don't know what's going to happen… I don't know what it'll do… I don't know if I'll be the same person… But just promise me…You'll find and save Faith."

"Bu-But-" Eddie started to say as his voice shook, "-The drug-It might-!"

"Kristen don't do this!" Rachel said, her voice changing a little, "Let me take them instead!"

Kristen laughed softly, "You know fully well I can't do that honey. I told you I would return the favor to you, and if it means doing this, than I'd do it again a hundred times over."

"Kris-!" Zack said as he stepped forward, though Kristen only moved back as she held the syringes closer to the skin of her arm making him freeze.

"Zack…" She said to him, "... I'm sorry, but I have to do this to keep you all alive. If this does kill me, than look after them for me. Make sure they get out of this place."

" **FUCK THAT SHIT!** " Zack shouted, " **YOU JUST TOLD FIFI AND THE SHITTY BRAT YOU HAVE A FAVOR YOU HAVE TO RETURN TO THEM! NOT TO MENTION YOU TOLD RAY YOU OWED RAY ANOTHER! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING TO HAPPEN IF YOU DIE!? ANSWER ME THAT!** "

Kristen stayed silent this time; it brought relief to the two kids when they saw her slowly taking the syringes away from the veins of her arm.

"... If I die…" Kristen started to say, "... Than I can't return it to them… But after that… I'm not sure."

"What the fuck do you mean your not sure!?" Zack shouted.

She soon lowered her hand as she held the syringes loosely now; both of them nearly slipping from her fingers.

"... Zack…" She started to say, "... Don't you get it? Everyone on the outside of this place basically abandoned me. Even if I do make outside… There's nothing waiting for me. My parents are gone… My own Aunt stabbed me in the back… Hell, if I went to the courthouse now… They probably still wouldn't believe that I never committed that murder and probably sentence me to death, or imprison me for life." She soon looked to Rachel, as the child's gaze changed slightly, "... _**Maybe I'm the one that's got nothing left to live for**_ …"

Zack's eyebrow twitched before he gave a laugh, taking them all back. "Are you hearing yourself right now?!" He said, with a smile, "Now you're basically saying you want to die? You're beginning to sound like Ray over there!" He soon lost his smile as his whole demeanor changed, "... I don't know whether to keep on laughing or just find that really fucking sad. Hell, what am I saying…? It's goddamn pitiful, and it makes me want to throw up."

Kristen only gave a look of confusion as she clenched her hand on the syringes. Every second she spent with him, he only just kept on surprising her. And if she had to be honest with herself, it only confused her a lot more.

"... Damn it all…" Zack said, "That bitch was right… _**We are tools to each other.**_ "

Her eyes widened at this, "You know that's not true!"

"Is it?" He said, as he stepped close to her, making her back up, "We all have our reasons for being in this place, we all want to get out of here, but we're pushing our desires onto each other-"

Kristen held the syringes to her arm again, though Zack didn't stop this time, "Sto-Stop!" She told him, "I mean it Zack!"

Zack completely ignored her as he continued on, "-You're basically in debt to those brats, and Ray wants to die once she's outside… I don't know what I swore to God to, maybe she'll be satisfied when she does die, but as for me..."

"I'm serious-!" She told him, "-I'll do it, I swe-!"

 _ **BAM!**_

Kristen flinched when her back hit the wall and Zack slammed his fist just next to her head, startling her, Rachel and Eddie as they watched helplessly. The sound forced her to shut her eyes as if she was expecting to get hit. Though when she opened them again, she found Zack in close proximity with her; She could practically feel his breath as well as heartbeat.

"... The brat… Can't make a satisfying like you when she dies…" He said, as he leaned towards her, face to face, making her blush a little, "... Looking at the dead expression on her face pisses me off! And now you saying you got nothing left to live for is pissing me off even more so than you going on about how your eyes are a fucking curse! The very idea of being used as a tool by not one, but two dolls is just boring as hell!"

Kristen had been paralyzed, before she had been snapped out of her trance when the syringes were taken from her hand; Zack soon backed up from her and held the syringes to his arm.

"Just this once…" Zack said calmly, "... I'll let you use me just as you want."

"Zack wait!" Rachel called out.

"Don't do it!" Eddie told him.

"You can't!" Kristen said as she went to grab the syringes out of his hands, "I won't let you!"

Zack stopped her when he put his foot in front of her chest to keep her at a distance.

"Just watch me… _**Red Eyes**_." Was all he told them. He put the syringes into his veins, and whatever had been inside entered his blood stream. They heard a click on the door as Zack tossed the syringes away. The doors opened and Zack went on inside, leaving the group frozen.

"... He took all of it…" Kristen said shocked, "... Oh God he took all of it…"

"... This is worrisome." Rachel said.

"...So…" Eddie started to say, "...What happens now…?"

"... I'm not sure…" Kristen said.

It hadn't been long before she went through the door after retrieving her gun and knife, and Eddie and Rachel went through their own. Kristen had been met with a dimly lit hallway, as she walked cautiously. It hadn't been long before she heard labored breathing from Zack.

She followed the sound till she saw him, leaning against the wall, grasping his head. As she stepped closer she noticed that some of the bandages on his face had been a little drenched, most likely due to the sweat.

"Zack?" She said softly as she approached him, "Are you alright?"

Zack didn't give a response, as he let out a groan, as he pushed himself from the wall, he nearly fell to the floor, were it not for Kristen who had been able to catch him in time.

"Zack answer me!" Kristen pleaded, "Can you hear me!?"

Rachel and Eddie soon came from around the corner, as they noticed the way Zack had been acting.

"What's happening!?" Eddie said.

"Is Zack okay?" Rachel asked as she had been about to approach them.

"Stop!" Kristen said stopping her, "Just stay right there okay?"

Right when they were about to ask, Zack suddenly stopped struggling as he stood straight; Kristen took her hands away from him, though she had been hesitant in doing so.

"Zack…?" She said.

She noticed that his look had changed entirely; the look to kill had appeared in his eyes once more. In the very next second, Kristen found herself gagging and gasping for air when Zack's hand latched onto her neck, causing Rachel and Eddie to jump.

"I… _**I wanna kill**_ …" He said before shouting, " **I WANNA KILL, I WANNA KILL, I WANNA KILL! IT'S SO BAD, I FEEL LIKE I'M GOING CRAZY!** "

Kristen made no effort to grab her weapons; she kept her hands to her side as she clenched her hands, motioning Rachel and Eddie to stay where they were. She shut her eyes as she did her best to speak.

"I-If you're going to kill me…" She said, "... Tha-than make it quick…"

She felt his grip tighten on her neck, " **ARE YOU ASKING TO DIE FOR REAL YOU RED EYED BITCH!?** " He shouted.

"-Bu-But before you-" She gagged, "-Before you take my life-Can I ask you-Just one thing… Are _**YOU**_ okay with this…?"

" **WHAT WAS THAT!?** " He yelled.

"... Re-Really think about it-" She started to say, "... Yo-You haven't made it out of this place… Besides… You-" She took a moment to cough before she picked the sentence back up, "-You said before didn't you…? If I die-You're-You're chances go down the drain… Right…?"

" **ARE YOU THREATENING ME!?** " He yelled, " **HUH!? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE DOING RIGHT NOW?!** "

Kristen did her best to shake her head, "I-I'm trying to… Give you something-No one else never even bothered… To give you-I'm not-Going to tell you-To do anything… I'm not-Going to give you… Any orders… I want to-Ask you… One thing… Are _**YOU**_ okay with doing this…?"

Zack's widened slightly as he felt something click in his head. The red that clouded his vision seemed to have vanished altogether; the only red he saw was the the color of her eyes, and even then… They couldn't be more clearer.

He let go of her neck as he lowered his hand and his scythe. He couldn't help but smile and give a soft chuckle.

"... No matter what you just keep on surprising me… Don't you…?" He said, "... It's really hard to hold myself back… You know…?" He chuckled again, "... But than again… If I could hold myself back… I wouldn't be in this situation to begin with… But you should know by now… Even I can't stand to tell a lie…"

He suddenly grabbed Kristen by the neck of her shirt and pulled her to him, making her gasp.

"Zack wait-!" Rachel exclaimed before her eyes and Eddie's widened by what happened next.

Kristen's eyes widened in shock when she found her lips on his own; her face heating immensely as he explored her mouth a little. He soon pulled away from Kristen as she only looked to him just completely stunned by what had just occurred; he pulled her in for a hug as her face rested on his shoulder.

"Hey Kris…?" He said into her ear, "... You'll do anything to keep them safe… Won't you?"

Kristen snapped out of her daze; still too stunned form words she could only nod her head.

"Good…" He said with a smile, "...Than… I have a request for you… _**Don't let me kill any of you.**_ "

Before Kristen could answer, Zack gave her a good hard shove making her stumble and almost hit Rachel and Eddie behind her. He started to groan, as the drugs started to take hold of him again. "Kristen…" Rachel said, as she helped her to stand, "... What do we do now…?"

Kristen watched as Zack's look to kill came back again; she lost the red in her face, as her look changed. She turned the kids and only told them one thing.

" _ **... Run.**_ "

With no hesitation Eddie and Rachel took off running down the hall; Kristen only took one last concerning look to Zack before catching up to them. Though her mind had been contemplating on what had just occurred, she had more important things on her mind right now.

It hadn't been long, before Zack started to give chase as he began to laugh.

* * *

 _-_ _ **Years Ago**_ _-_

" _Even a monster like that can turn into a good useful_ _ **tool**_ _if you let him live."_

" _I see, that's certainly convenient."_

" _That thing is a tool!"_

" _Such a tool!"_

 _He heard the two gave a laugh, as Zack's body shook at the word. Tool-That word he hated most of all._

 _Suddenly out of the corner of his eye he saw something strange. Some of the dirt nearby started to move on it's own. This was strange to him, as he could've sworn, there had only been corpse buried here. The adults had been distracted at the moment, so it couldn't hurt to see what it was._

 _Zack approached where he had seen the dirt move on it's own again; dragging the shovel just behind him. Just as he went to take a look, he had been startled when a hand shot up out of the ground, causing him to fall back. Another hand shot up from the dirt as whatever had been pulled itself out._

 _Zack had been shocked._

 _What was before him was another child, barely alive, covered in mud. The child had been skinny, and their lips looked to be dried up, their hair had been disheveled and covered their eyes._

 _All Zack heard from them was the sound of groaning, like they had been a zombie or something and tried to stand. They only failed as they fell in the mud, staining more of their clothes and hair._

 _At this point, Zack didn't know what to do. He never dealt with this kind of problem before since he had been here. This child, another child like him had been alive before his very eyes. The only ones he had seen were the ones that were dead and buried in this very yard._

 _He didn't know what he should do._

 _He flinched when he felt the child grab his hand. With the last of the strength the child looked to him, and Zack…_ _ **Had been taken back by the color of their eyes**_ _._

 _He had been put into a trance like a snake that had been charmed. He had never seen them in that color before… It couldn't help but intrigue him._

 _The child finally spoke, their voice hoarse, and raspy as they gasped._

" _...H… e…. l…. p…" They said, "...H… e… l… p… P… l… e… a… s… e… M… o… m… m… y… D… a… d… d… y… H… e… l… p… m… e..."_

 _Zack looked to the child as they continued to beg, before he looked back to the house. He didn't know what happened, but the next thing he knew he dropped the shovel and pulled the child onto his back; the child had been light due to the fact they had been emaciated. He managed to sneak back in as the adults had been too distracted by the TV as well as each other._

 _He knew he couldn't bring them back into his room; the adults had been in there all the time when they needed him to perform a task. They would spot them for sure._

 _He took them to the one place they never ventured to in their own house… That had been the attic._

 _He made up into the attic and quickly found an old yet, somewhat comfy mattress, He set them down gently as they groaned with agony, before Zack had caught his breath. Finally taking notice of the mud and water on them, he quickly went to retrieve a towel from the bathroom, and started to do the best he could to get it all off of them._

 _Occasionally he kept looking to the stairs of the attic to make sure the adults didn't come up or were close by._

" _What am I doing…?" He soon thought as he was careful as he cleaned them, "What am I even doing…?... This isn't my problem… Why am I even doing this…?"_

 _He felt the child take his hand again, as he couldn't help but freeze. He could almost swear he heard them trying to cry._

" _M… o… m… m… y… D… a… d… d… y…" He heard them say, "W...a...n...t...To...Go...H...o...m...e…"_

 _Zack couldn't help but sigh, as he soon found a thin blanket, and pulled it over their body; though it barely covered them, it had been better than letting catch a cold._

 _With a sigh, he stood up and headed back down the stairs of the attic, to go and find whatever had been edible as he still couldn't help but contemplate on why he was doing this kind of thing._

 _(_ _ **Second Ending Theme: Another Ending Theme-Anamnesis Performed By annabel (anNina)**_ )


	16. Chapter 14: An Unexpected Twist

( _ **Second Opening Theme: Blood + Opening Theme-Tears of Heaven Performed By Takashi Hitomi**_ )

Kristen, Eddie and Rachel made a mad dash down the hall as Zack gave chase; he dragged his blade along the ground as he gave a laugh; his voice bouncing off the walls as he had been quick to catch up to them.

" **KEEP RUNNING!** " She yelled to Eddie and Rachel, " **DON'T STOP!** "

Rachel ended up tripping on herself, and Zack stepped towards her. She rolled out of the way of his blade, before Kristen had been quick to help her up. She gave him a good kick pushing him back, though he only laughed again.

" **KEEP MOVING! JUST A LITTLE FURTHER!** " She yelled as she ran with Rachel and Eddie.

Kristen looked back to see Zack catching up to them as he licked his lips. Her look only softened a little before she kept her eyes forward.

" _I can't let him kill them!_ " She thought, " _This isn't just for survival! He lost his mind because of the drugs! This is for Zack's sake!_ "

"Look!" Eddie said as they turned the corner, "There's a door up ahead!"

Kristen and Rachel picked up their heads and there they saw it; the only door available to them in the seemingly large hall.

"Come on! Hurry!" She told them.

Rachel and Eddie nodded as they picked up the pace; Kristen had been the first to open the door as they practically jumped through the doorway. The room they stepped in had been a large room, with blood stains on the floor, and what looked to be bullet holes on the floor. They saw up on the ceiling there had been a pair of machine guns at each of the corners. In front of them, they saw bullet proof glass with a pair of double doors.

They didn't have time to think on why or what this room had been as they heard Zack coming towards them. The three of them ran towards the glass doors and tried to get it open.

"It's locked!" Eddie said.

"... We're trapped in here." Rachel said.

Kristen turned to the doorway as she saw Zack stepped inside. "...Rachel, Eddie…" She said as she drew her combat knife, "...Get behind me."

The two kids hid behind Kristen as Zack stepped towards them with his scythe in hand. He drew his blade towards her, and Kristen got herself ready; standing in the same stance Zack had shown her earlier.

"... Zack…" She said, "... I'm going to fulfill your request."

Zack's smile seemingly grew bigger. She didn't know whether it was because he was ready to take the kill, or how she remembered what he showed her on the previous floor. Both of them readied their weapons and prepared to fight when-

 _ **BANG!**_

Zack cried out in agony as he dropped the scythe and fell to his knees.

"Zack!" The three of them exclaimed.

"Hello~"

The three of them had been drawn to a voice; they turned and saw it was Cathy in person. Her crop whip had been in hand and she had a smile on her face.

"It's nice to see you all here!" Cathy said gleefully, "I'm very impressed that you made it this far! I'm so sorry that I cut the party short when it was getting to something good." She waved her crop whip, and that's when Kristen got a clear image of it; she saw buttons had been on the handle.

"This is the firing squad room!" Cathy explained, "So I shot you! Now take a good look! They're guns all around; all I have to do is push a button, and I can kill you all where your standing."

Cathy let out a giggle as her face turned red; Kristen couldn't help but shudder as she nuzzled her cheek onto her crop whip.

She soon turned back towards them, "It was so delightful… Seeing the falling out between Krissy and Zack! And that kiss~" She squealed a little, "Honestly I was surprised, especially from Zack! I thought Krissy would be the one to make the first move, but he blew away my expectations! You two are what I consider the ideal criminal! Especially Zack! The way you can't control your impulses, no matter how you fight them… It's just fantastic!"

"I don't give a damn what you think right now!" Kristen shouted to Cathy, "Where's Faith!?"

Cathy only chuckled as she pressed a button on the handle of the whip. The floor opened just beside her, opened up and something seemed to ascend from it; smoke covered the it. They saw it looked to be a large display case; but what shocked them was what had been inside it.

Or in this case… Who.

Faith had been inside the case, her hands tied up and she appeared to be standing on a platform; though what horrified them the most was the fact that a rope, tied into a noose had been wrapped around her neck, as it hung off a sturdy metal hook.

"Faith!" Kristen, Eddie and Rachel exclaimed.

"Gu-Guys!" Faith said fearfully, "Help me please!"

"You damn bitch!" Zack shouted as he held his scythe in his head. Despite his body shaking, he ran towards the glass and attempted to break it, though it proved to be unsuccessful.

"Aw Zack…" Cathy pouted, "... What's wrong? Did the drug make you feel uneasy? Did it make you go crazy? Plus, you're after the wrong person, you know?"

" **I-** " Zack started to say, " **I'LL KILL YOU!** "

The gun went off again, and this time, the bullet had gone through Zack's ankle, making him fall to his knees.

"Zack!" Kristen shouted.

"You're so silly Zack." Cathy said teasingly, "I already told you, you're going after the wrong person!"

"Hang on Zack!" Rachel said.

Her, Kristen and Eddie were about to run over to him but stopped as he yelled, " **STAY AWAY FROM ME!** "

They could see his body still shaking from the drug; Kristen looked onto him with worry as she wondered what could be done.

"See?" Cathy said, "And here I thought the pain of being shot made you more rational, but just look at you! You just can't hold yourself back can't you?"

"You're a monster!" Kristen shouted.

"What do you want from them!?" Faith shouted from within her case.

"Well I'm glad you asked~!" Cathy said before she snapped her fingers. At the same time the room had gotten dark, a spotlight had appeared as the sound of a drumroll had been heard, before it shined to a gun on the floor.

"Congratulations Rachel Gardener!" Cathy said, "You'll be participating in my next punishment!"

"What do you mean?" Eddie asked as Rachel picked up the gun, "What are you gonna make her do?"

"Why that's simple!" Cathy replied, "All she and Zack have to do… Is kill each other!"

"What!?" Eddie and Kristen exclaimed as Rachel herself looked surprised.

"Whoever survives this, will be given a fantastic judgement! After Krissy's next and final punishment of course!" Cathy stated cheerfully before she gave a laugh. Kristen only looked more horrified as Eddie had a difficult time processing this.

There was no way! She was going to force a little girl to kill someone! Her previous punishments were insane, but this-This was too much given the situation. Her blood boiled at the very thought of what was going to happen.

"... What would be the meaning of that?" Rachel soon asked, taking everyone back.

Cathy had stopped laughing as she soon let out a sigh, "... Oh stop it. You really are a boring girl." She took a seat on the steps provided as she crossed her legs. "What's the point of trying if there's no meaning in it?" She soon said, "Do you expect anything to come out of it? Nothing is ever going to come from criminals deeds. So there's no search for a meaning. This is today's main event! Now… Put on an entertaining show for me!"

"Jesus, tell me I wasn't this crazy..." Eddie wondered aloud.

" _This is strange…_ " Kristen thought to herself, " _... None of what she's saying makes sense. In fact… Everything she said has been… Weird._ "

Zack soon started to step towards Rachel as she still looked to the gun in her hand. " **ZACK WAI-!** "

 _ **BANG! BANG!**_

Kristen stopped in her tracks as bullets had fired near her feet to prevent her from moving from her spot. Cathy wagged her finger as she clicked her tongue in an almost scolding manner.

" **STOP!** " Faith shouted, " **PLEASE DON'T DO THIS!** "

"Ah, ah, ah." Cathy said, with her thumb hovering over a certain button, "Don't try to interfere now~"

Faith shrank at this as her body shook. Zack held his scythe over to Rachel, as his hands shook; Kristen could tell he was doing everything he can to restrain himself from killing her right than and there. Still she couldn't help but feel helpless.

"Well!?" Zack said to Rachel, "If you're going to shoot than hurry the fuck up!"

Rachel said nothing as she soon held the gun up to Zack, taking Kristen and Eddie by surprise.

"Rachel no!" Kristen exclaimed.

"Don't!" Eddie yelled.

"Oh, what's this now?" Cathy pondered aloud, "Could it be that your too afraid to pull the trigger? You can't escape a boring girl with interesting qualities?"

"Be quiet." Rachel said to Cathy in an authoritative tone, as they were surprised at this; Cathy especially.

"Even if you don't shoot, I can't hold back!" Zack shouted, "So do it!"

"Rachel no!" Kristen shouted.

"Please don't do this!" Eddie yelled.

"Rachel!" Faith shouted.

"Just shoot me goddammit!" He yelled.

Rachel stood in silence as she contemplated on what she should. It wasn't a second later till they saw her lower the gun.

"It's alright." She told the group, "... I'm not going to shoot."

Kristen, Eddie, and Faith sighed with relief; though Zack on the other hand didn't look happy to hear this sort of news. "Really!?" He yelled, "You're not gonna!? Well, that's too fucking bad! Cuz I wanna kill so bad it hurts!"

"You can fight it!" Kristen yelled, "Don't give in!"

"Kind of hard to do that right now!" Zack told her, "Have you meet me!?"

"I'm sorry…" Rachel said, "... I guess I'm letting you kill me while I'm boring."

" **YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT!** " Zack shouted, " **I'M GONNA FEEL LIKE SHIT AFTER THIS!** " He soon grabbed her wrist, forcing her to point the gun towards his chest.

" **I SAID IF YOU'RE GOING TO SHOOT ME THEN SHOOT ME!** " Zack shouted, " **YOU CAN'T MISS AT THIS RANGE!** "

" **ZACK!** " Kristen, Eddie and Faith exclaimed.

Rachel shook her head, "You can ask all you want… But my answer will still be the same. I won't kill you… This is _**MY**_ choice. I'm fine with being killed by you. But…" She looked over to Cathy, who still had a smile on her face, "... I won't let this woman turn out the way she wants it. Because, Kristen is right… You and I… Eddie, Faith and her… _**We're not tools.**_ "

She lowered the gun, and to everyone's shock, she took hold of his scythe, and held the blade towards her body. "To kill or be killed… To live or die for someone else's sake… They're _**OUR**_ own choices."

Zack's body flinched; for a brief moment he saw several images pass by in his head. From him as a child, to the person that caused his heart in his chest to twist. The last and final image, had been of a young woman, with eyes pure red, that had been more clear than anything else in his life. The group had been taken back, when he began to laugh.

"Don't start saying such interesting things now!" He said, with a smile, "Damn it all! I can't hold it back any longer! Come on! At least let me see you smile! Right now! Let me see it!"

Rachel complied; despite her eyes looking dead, she gave him a smile, the only one she could muster. Zack let out a groan as this time an image of blood went through his head. His smile soon appeared again.

"... What a lousy smile." He commented, placing his hand over his chest, "... Your eyes are totally dead. But… If it ever turns into a real smile… It'll be awesome. Just imagining killing you like that… Is making me smile more than anyone else!" He soon readied his blade. Kristen's eyes widened in horror and with realization, as she reached out and shouted.

"So big-"

"Zack! Wait!"

" **-I COULD KILL MYSELF!** "

" **STO-** "

 _ **SLASH!**_

Everyone was put into shock when Zack created a huge gash in his stomach; blood stained the stone floor. He fell onto his back as the whole room went silent for a moment. Everyone in the room had currently processing what had just happened.

"Zack…" Kristen said softly as she walked; she soon started to run as she yelled, " **ZACK!** "

" **ZACK!** " Eddie and Rachel shouted, as they ran to his side.

"Oh God... " Faith said as she was now crying, "... Please no…"

Kristen slid on her knees before she started to shake him gently. "Zack, stay with me!" She said, before she looked to Rachel and Eddie, "Help me stop the bleeding!" Rachel and Eddie nodded; Placing the gun down, and tossing aside his shovel, they placed their hands on his stomach, not minding that they're hands had gotten dirty.

" **WHAT THE FUCK!?** " They heard Cathy shout.

She made her way down the stairs, and opened the door, stepping towards them; at this Kristen abandoned her task and stood in front of Rachel, Eddie and Zack protectively.

"Ugh…" She groaned stepping towards them, "... Disgusting. I was wrong to call you an ideal criminal! Rachel Gardener is a failure as a criminal, and Isaac Foster was such a fool he killed himself to satisfy his own desires! I'm so disappointed in you! You put a damper in my judgement!"

"Back off bitch!" Kristen shouted as she held her knife; Cathy stopped as she looked to her, "I'm not letting you near them!"

Cathy seemed to lose her rage, as her smile returned, though it looked more unsettling than it did before. "Ah yes… That's right…" She said, "... I still have Krissy, and her final punishment…"

"For God's sake, a man is currently bleeding to death!" Eddie exclaimed, "Haven't you had eno-"

Eddie stopped when the guns fired again, making him fall back nearly hitting Rachel. "Hey!" Kristen said, "Leave them out of this!"

Cathy started to laugh hysterically as she looked over to Kristen; for a moment she retained herself as she held her crop whip casually in her hands. "Oh, little Krissy, look at you still trying to play a hero!" Cathy said teasingly, "And yet… Your a criminal… Just like everyone else in this room."

"Not everyone here's a criminal like you say Cathy." Kristen said, emphasising her name with disgust.

"Oh really?" Cathy said, before she pointed over to Faith, "You're little friend Faith here isn't all that innocent, you know? She's more sinful compared to you and that boring brat."

"What are you talking about?!" Kristen said.

Cathy chuckled and Faith looked to have a horrified look on her face. "Let's answer your question… With another question shall we?" Cathy said as she pointed over to Faith, "I've been watching you since the three of you gotten together on Zack's floor… And did you ever stop to think… _**Why she never mentioned her last name?**_ "

Kristen only looked puzzled at this sort of thing as she looked to Faith who was now covered in her own tears.

"Her full name is Faith Bicari!" Cathy soon explained, "And her family name comes from the name of that of a Mafia leader himself, Adelbert Bicari!"

Kristen's eyes widened at this, as did Eddie's at this newfound information; Rachel on the other hand didn't look surprised.

"You have heard of him, haven't you?" Cathy said with a smile, "The most feared crime boss known to man. So feared in fact, that if someone even so much as look in his general direction, they'll be shot dead on the spot. And that's not even the best part! Your precious little friend, was assisting him in finding those that owed him money, and punished those that deny him! If anything, she's an even bigger criminal than that of her daddy!"

"Faith…?" Kristen said shocked.

Faith at this point began to cry as her body shook. "I'm… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

Cathy only laughed at her expression, "Now, my dear Krissy… Let's discuss on what your punishment shall be…?"

Kristen's body shook with anger as she looked to Cathy still having her glare, "... What punishment?"

"Well, you should feel honored right now…" Cathy said, "... Because this time, I'm giving you the power! _**YOU**_ get to decide who lives or dies!" She soon showed her, the crop whip she had in her hand, her thumb hovered over a button that looked to be in the color of pink.

Cathy told her, "This button right here, is connected to the platform in the case. If I press it, the floor will give and allowing our dear Faith to take her last breaths! That is, unless of course… If you think your more guilty than her… After all… _**You did kill someone.**_ "

Kristen had been taken back at this, while Rachel and Eddie appeared to be in shock. "Here's the deal, my dear Krissy!" Cathy said, "If you think you're more guilty than her, you can shoot yourself with your gun, and I'll let Faith go. But… If you think she's more guilty than you, than I'll just throw the switch and let her choke, allowing you to live! Choose wisely now~!"

At this Kristen had been at a loss, as she didn't know what to pick. She looked to the gun in her hand before she looked to Faith who had still been completely and utterly terrified. She soon looked over to Rachel, Zack and Eddie; Rachel and Eddie's eyes pleaded with her, as to not go through with the insane choice she had to make.

Much to their horror, Kristen cocked her gun, as her hand shook. Cathy watched with anticipation as she soon held the gun to her head but-

"Wait a minute…!" Kristen said as she took the gun away from her head, "...That's dumb."

Cathy's smile fell from her face, "... What?"

"The punishment…" She told her as she gave her a sneer, "... It's dumb! Even if I went through with it, you wouldn't let any of them get off this floor. Given the blood stains on the floor, I bet you did the same thing to the others that made it this far, didn't you?"

"No…" Cathy started to say before she shouted, " **... NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO THINK THAT LIKE! YOU'RE A CRIMINAL, AND I'M THE JUDGE! I PASS JUDGEMENT ONTO CRIMINALS LIKE YOU!** "

"You keep saying your a judge but your not!" Kristen told her, "I've seen judges ones that were half-assed at their job, mind you and they're not what you are! They don't just straight up decide who's guilty, they have someone do it for them! And they certainly don't execute people on the spot!"

" **SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU BITCH! YOU DON'T KNOW A GODDAMN THING!** "

"I know a hell of a lot more than you! You're no judge or jury or executioner! You're just a crazy psychopathic murderer, that just has this _**OBSESSION**_ with quote on quote _**PUNISHING**_ whoever the hell comes to your floor, and playing with their heads and their lives like they're your toys or some shit! So you tell me! What the hell are you trying to pro-?!"

At this Kristen stopped herself as her eyes widened with realization, taking everyone back as she seemed to have lost her anger.

"Oh…" Kristen said, "... Oh, I don't believe this…"

"Kristen…?" Rachel said confused.

"What?" Cathy said.

Kristen only laughed softly as she slapped herself in the head, "Why didn't I see it before? The answers are written all over your face, it's been in the rooms on this floor, even the way you're behaving!"

Cathy growled, "What are you talking about!?"

She retained her look once more, as she looked Cathy in the eye.

"... This whole time…" Kristen started to say, "... All this time you've been here… _**You're trying to convince yourself you're not the bad guy…**_ Aren't you…?"

At this, for the first time since they had gotten to that floor… She was completely quiet. Rachel, Faith and Eddie had been taken back when they saw the look Cathy had on her face.

She was shocked.

Speechless even!

She just had a horrified look on her face to the red eye woman before her right now; they could almost swear that her body had been shaking right now. They couldn't tell if it had been out of fear or anger.

 _ **BANG!**_

Kristen cried out when two bullets suddenly went through her leg, causing her to drop her gun and fall on her side.

" **KRISTEN!** " Eddie and Faith shouted.

" **YOU STUPID FUCKING BITCH!** " Cathy shouted as she soon kicked and whipped at the wounded woman causing Kristen to cry out, and her old wounds to open, " **DON'T YOU DARE FUCKING TELL ME WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT ME! YOU'RE NOT IN CONTROL! I AM! I'M THE JUDGE YOUR THE CRIMINAL! THAT'S ALL THERE IS TO IT!** "

Just than they heard the sound of a gun click; Cathy stopped and looked in the direction of the sound. Kristen groaned though had been put into shock. Rachel had been holding the gun, Cathy had provided for her earlier.

"Oh…?" Cathy said amused, "... And what do we have here…?"

"Get away from her." Rachel said, as her body hadn't been shaking, "I'm not letting you kill her."

"Do you think you can shoot me this time?" Cathy taunted, "Come on shoot me than! Get it over with and shoot me!"

"Rachel!" Kristen yelled, groaning a little, "Put the gun down now!"

This time she ignored what Kristen was telling her and just kept her eyes on Cathy. Though to be quite frank… She had ignored what Cathy was telling her to do. At this, she looked disappointed, "You can't pull the trigger after all… What a shame." Cathy said, "Well unfortunately for you, that gun isn't even loaded."

Rachel's eyes widened at this, as Kristen, Faith and Eddie looked shocked at this. "You gave her an unloaded weapon!?" Eddie shouted.

"Oh relax Eddie!" Cathy said, "It's not like a failure of a criminal like her could pull the trigger anyway. However…" She soon formed a gun with her fingers as she pointed it towards Rachel, "... I'm a bit impressed by the attitude it took to point that gun to me. Bang~"

The gun was suddenly shot out of Rachel's hand, catching everyone by surprise; She fell to her knees at this. "Rachel!" Eddie exclaimed as he ran to her side.

"You damn bitch…!" Kristen said, "You're gonna-AH!"

Kristen had been cut off when Cathy grabbed her by the hair before she tossed her to Zack's side. "Since you and Faith are still alive, I'll have to make you do with you both. I wonder what other sorts of punishments I can-"

Just than they heard the sound of a groan; Kristen's eyes widened when she saw Zack started to move as he groaned with agony. With her new and old ones bleeding, all Kristen could manage to do was crawl over to him. "Zack…?" She spoke softly, her eyes glimmering with hope; she shook him gently as to get him to open his eyes, "... Zack…? Can you hear me?"

"Would you look at that? So Zack is still alive!" Cathy said gleefully as she stepped towards her and Zack, "That's perfect! I still have my two ideal criminals! I can keep you two just like this, and punish you while your still full of life!"

Kristen took Zack into her arms as to protect him, before she was met with a heel to her head. Cathy began to laugh as she continued kick at her. Faith cried loudly, begging Cathy to stop, as Eddie shouted to Cathy, most likely threats.

Though Rachel, couldn't tell as a sudden ring went off in her head as she looked on with horror.

Several images passed by in her head, some didn't look to be clear, though only two had stood out. The first had that of a woman, possessing a smile and her world looking more alive than before, the second image she had seen had been a man covered with red, and holding a knife in his hands. Her vision had soon been clouded with red.

"No…" She said, as she stood, "... I won't let you kill them…"

She soon rummaged through her messenger bag; Faith and Eddie's eyes widened at what she had pulled out from the bag.

Cathy soon turned in Rachel's direction when she realized what she had been holding.

"BANG." The child said before she pulled the trigger.

The sound echoed through the room, making everyone jump. Cathy felt the bullet pierce her stomach as she found herself to be bleeding. Kristen just looked shocked at the fact that in the thirteen year old's hand, she had been holding a small pistol, as she bared no reaction as to what she just did.

"WHAT!?" Cathy shouted, before Kristen could say something, " **YOU BRAT! THAT'S ONE HELL OF A WAY TO SHOW WHO YOU REALLY ARE!** " Cathy soon smiled, " **I LOVE IT! I'M GOING TO JUDGE YOU, YOU CRIMINAL!** **I'LL JUDGE YOU! I'LL JUDGE YOU! I'LL JUDGE YOU! YOU CAN KEEP THAT UNFAZED LOOK ON YOUR FACE AND I'LL JUDGE Y-!** "

 _ **SLASH!**_

The whole group jumped when they saw Cathy's arm had been cut clean off. There they saw Zack standing there with his scythe in hand, as if nothing had happened.

"Shut the hell up." Zack said cheerful, as he had a smile on his face, "Don't look so happy about being shot! It made me wanna kill so damn bad, that it woke me right up!"

"No…" Cathy gagged as she looked to her missing limb, "... No way…"

"This _**IS**_ real!" Zack yelled, " **SO OPEN UP YOUR DAMN EYES!** "

Cathy didn't let out a scream as the blade went through her body. In a split second, Cathy fell to the floor as she had been cut in half. Though despite this, she still made an effort to get to the switch.

"Y… You're… All… Criminals…" She gagged as she reached for the crop whip, "I… Have… To… Punish… You…"

Just as she was within reach, Eddie picked up off the floor, as he glared at her. "Next time you'll think twice before messing with my beloved Rachel again." He said in a threatening tone of voice.

Cathy could only give out a laugh before her eyes rolled back and she fell to the floor; her body was no longer moving as she had been no more. At this everyone breathed a sigh of relief as Rachel put her gun away. Without another word, Eddie found the button that released Faith, and let the case popped open. Rachel and Eddie soon helped her out of her binding, and got her out of the nose.

"Are you okay?" Rachel asked.

Faith only nodded silently as her eyes had been itchy from her tears, before she looked to Rachel noting her reaction from earlier.

"... How… How long did you know…?" She asked her softly.

"You dropped your profile earlier." Rachel explained, "... When we were on Eddie's floor… You tried to hide it didn't you?"

Faith nodded her head again, "I-I didn't want you to know… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

"Don't be…" Eddie said before he gave her a hug, "We're just glad your okay."

Zack gave out a sigh as he sat on the floor, his scythe fell to his side. "Damn…" He said, holding his stomach, "... It's gotten a lot quieter now."

"Zack!" Kristen exclaimed, as she stood. She limped over to his side, before she kneeled beside him, "Are you okay!?"

"Kris?" Zack said surprised before he noticed the wounds she had, "You look like shit, what the hell happened?"

"I look like shit!?" She exclaimed, "Says the guy who cut himself open a second ago! What the hell were you even thinking!? Why would you even do something like to yourself!? Do you even realize what could've happened!?"

Zack noticed that tears started to form in Kristen's eyes. He couldn't really care less of what she was saying at the moment, all he knew was she was being too noisy, and he wanted her to shut up just for now at least.

Luckily he knew just the trick.

He grabbed her by the neck of the shirt and pulled her to him; she looked to him with her red eyes wide now, still filled with tears.

"Shut the fuck up." He said, before he sealed it with a kiss, making Kristen squeak and freeze and her face turned red like before.

It was strange for her.

A serial killer, was actually kissing her… Again!

Any normal person in her position would just push him away, for assaulting them; though to her own shock, she found herself closing her eyes and relaxing as she had pulled him closer to her, being careful as to not aggravate his wounds as she couldn't stop the tears from flowing now.

 _(_ _ **Second Ending Theme: Another Ending Theme-Anamnesis Performed By annabel (anNina)**_ )


	17. Chapter 14 Epilogue: Proving a Point

Zack wanted to stay in that moment forever.

For the first time in his life, as he practically melted into the kiss, he actually felt alive; more alive than he ever felt in his life. Sure, he had been with plenty of women when he wanted to quote on quote relieve himself, but when he kissed her the second time… He felt something in him spark.

He could feel the same from her as she tried to return the kiss he gave her. He was surprised she didn't push him away when he pulled her in for a second kiss. He hooked an arm around her waist as he tempted to let his hand roam to wherever he desired on her body.

Eventually they pulled back as a string saliva was seen between the two of them. They both caught their breath; he leaned his forehead against her own, as she just appeared to be in a daze. He couldn't help but chuckle at her expression.

"Hey Kris…" He said tapping her head a little, "... You still in there?"

Kristen couldn't even speak, she struggled to though she couldn't find the words to say. He laughed again, before he gave her a kiss on the lips making her jump.

"Guess I took your breath away?" He joked.

Kristen went to say something though was quickly interrupted. "Zack!" Rachel exclaimed as she ran to him and Kristen, "Are you okay?"

"My gut hurts like hell, what do you think?" He said, gently pushing Kristen off, before he stood up himself.

"I'm surprised to see your still alive after that." Eddie said, "I mean you did go and opened your gut up like that."

"You looked happy when you did that before." Rachel pointed out.

"Hey now-" Zack said placing his hand on his wound, "-Don't go lumping me together with that sadomasochistic bitch. I just thought it'd be better than killing any of you. Especially when Ray's still got that boring look on her face."

"Sadomasochistic?" Faith said surprised, "You know, for a guy that doesn't know how to read, you have a pretty big vocabulary."

"Hey there Fi." He said, "You good?"

"Ye-yeah." Faith replied nervously, as she had been struggling to look him in the eyes, "Listen, I don't know if-"

He soon cut her off, as he placed his hand on her shoulder, causing her to flinch.

"Just save whatever you gotta say, alright?" He told her, squeezing her shoulder as a sign of reassurance, "Right now, that shit doesn't matter here."

Faith's look softened as she nodded her head silently, looking like she was about to cry again. Rachel soon went over to Kristen, who had her hands over her mouth as she had still been flushed with red.

"Kristen?" She said, reaching out to her, "Are you okay?"

At first Kristen didn't seem to register, until she noticed her eyes looking to her. She immediately wiped the drool off of her chin before she told her, "I'm alright sweetheart."

"Are you sure?" She asked tilting her head a little.

Kristen nodded, before she gave her a pat on the head, "Seems like I'm in debt to you now, huh?"

Rachel couldn't help but smile a small smile as she nodded.

"Hey." Zack soon said, "You guys caught a glimpse of that bitch's face right?"

"Well yeah." Eddie replied.

Zack chuckled to himself, "It was so damn brilliant." He soon looked over to Rachel, "You were pretty good too Ray. I feel better." His gaze switched over to Kristen, and he gave her a smile, "A whole lot better."

At this Kristen couldn't help but turn red again as she found herself avoiding his look as she looked embarrassed. Her heartbeat seemed to have increased as she could still feel his stare. Rachel, Eddie, and Faith seemed to be confused by this exchange.

"Do you really feel better?" Eddie asked, to divert from the awkwardness, "You did just cut up your own stomach."

"Yeah." He told him, "The pain isn't bothering me anymore. Now let's go."

He started to move to the stairs available, dragging his scythe behind him. "Wa-Wait!" Faith said concerned, "Shouldn't you rest first?"

"Shut up." Zack said to her, "Just worry about yourselves alright?"

Kristen soon stood up, wincing a little from her newfound and open wounds. "Come on." She told them regained herself, "Let's get off this hell of a floor."

The kids looked to one another, before they followed the adults up the stairs. They started to explore what appeared to be where Cathy had been controlling everything. Zack went to try the door as the others looked to the computer available.

"Shit!" He exclaimed, when he noticed the door had been locked, "Not again!"

"One of these buttons has got to open that door." Kristen said, "Kids, start messing around with them!"

"We'll do!" Eddie said.

Just as this was said, Rachel, Faith and Eddie started to press all the buttons available to them. One of the buttons they had pressed, they heard the sound of applause.

"Okay, I'll bite, what the hell was that?" Zack asked.

"I guess was how she was controlling the sound and lights." Rachel said.

"Woah…" Eddie said, "... Sounds like she had way too much time on her hands."

"Uh, didn't you make a cemetary down stairs?" Faith asked him, "A very large cemetery? And file every record including ours?"

"Touche." Was all he replied.

"Man, she was a pain in the ass." Zack said.

"Wait, I think I found it." Rachel said, before she pressed a button on the far right. They heard a click, and saw the door had been lit with green before it swung itself open. "Good." Zack said, "Let's get moving."

He soon stepped inside with the others following behind him. Though he eventually had to lag behind them along with Kristen as she limped slightly. The hall seemed to get longer with every step she took and her vision became hazy.

She found herself stumbling a bit before she hitting the wall.

"Hey." She heard Zack say making her freeze, "You good?"

"Ye-Yeah." Kristen said straightening herself up, though stumbled again, making Zack lean against her.

Zack merely huffed, "You damn liar… You can hardly stand up."

Kristen felt her face heat up as her heart started to race at how close Zack was. She couldn't even speak as she found herself stuttering. She couldn't even look him in the eye as she found herself averting his gaze.

She heard him scoff, "What, no retort this time around? That's unlike you."

"It's not-I-I-just-" She tried to say as she still avoided looking at him, "I-I-"

Zack couldn't help but give her a quizzical look at this while Kristen stayed silent. She looked ahead and saw the kids were far from earshot. Finally, she seemed to muster up what she wanted to say to him.

"Okay…" She started to say, "... What was that back there?"

Zack only looked more confused at this. "You know!" She soon started to clarify, "That thing you did! Where you put your face close to mine, and you did the-" She groaned a little, "-You know!"

"Do you… Seriously not know what a kiss is?" Zack said surprised.

" **I KNOW WHAT IT IS!** " She yelled immediately lowering her voice as she covered her mouth as she repeated, "I know what it is!"

"Okay…" He said awkwardly, "... Why are you freaking out then?"

"I don't know I'm just confused right now!" She told him, "What you just did took me by surprise! Not to mention you kissed me! Twice! I just-I don't-I-"

Zack at this point was trying to figure out what she was trying to say, what she was trying to get through. However he seemed to have gotten the picture as she was trying to put together her words.

"Wait a damn minute." He said astonished, "Are you trying to say, you've never experienced something like that before? Not once in your life?"

At this Kristen froze as she turned as red as a cherry as she looked to the floor. That seemed to have answered his question.

"Well, shit…" He said, as he couldn't help but smirk.

" **WIPE THAT GRIN OFF YOUR FACE!** " Kristen yelled again, before quickly shutting her mouth when her voice echoed again, "Zack! I don't get you! First you said you don't care for me, then you give me a lesson in knives, then you go out of your way to comfort and now you went and did something like that! I mean-That counts as assault you know!"

"You didn't exactly push away, you're as guilty as I am." Zack told her making her freeze up again as she turned red again.

She soon ruffled her hair as she groaned, "Zack… Seriously… Why did you do that?" She soon asked, "Back when you were drugged, and just now… Why did you… Kiss… Someone like me?"

Zack soon let out a sigh as he leaned against the wall. Setting aside his scythe he ran his hand through his hair. Soon enough he gave his answer, "Even from me, this is gonna sound crazy… But…" He sighed again, "... Since we got to this damn floor-Or actually since that shitty brat's floor. I guess I… Feel different about you guys… _**You especially Kris**_."

Kristen's eyes widened a little as she just looked surprised; she leaned against the wall as well wincing a little from her wounds.

"It's really weird. For me at least." He told her, "Trust me, even though I'm a serial killer sometimes I have to, quote unquote relieve myself. The only difference though is that… I've never had an attachment. It was just a one night stand, but… With you, it's different."

"Wha…" She spoke softly, "... What are you trying to say…?"

He soon put his forehead against her own; she felt herself turn red again. "I don't know…" Zack said honestly, "I guess… What I'm trying to say is… _**I can't get enough of you.**_ "

Kristen looked to him shocked at this. She knows he's supposed to a killer, he's supposed to be someone who takes joy in tormenting others. Hell, he admitted to her and the kids, that he loves seeing the faces of despair. And yet… Here he was, looking her straight in the eyes, telling her such a thing. She didn't know if she should believe it.

She thought about all the times people have said positive things, only to find… They hadn't been telling the truth after all. She didn't know what she should think, or even if she should believe his words.

"Zack…" She soon said, as she looked to the ground, "... How can you say that to me…? I'm not worth looking at… I'm not beautiful… I'm ugly, especially with these eyes I have…"

Zack gritted his teeth at this, before looking ahead, seeing that the kids had been out of view. "You're still saying stuff like that, even after what I just said…?" Zack said, "... If that's the case-"

Without thinking twice and despite the wound he had, he dropped his scythe to the ground before shoving her to the wall with his foot.

She cried out, when her back hit the wall.

"Zack! What the hell are you-Mmm!?"

She froze when she felt his lips on hers again; she couldn't even react when she felt his tongue exploring her mouth again, as it felt a tad bit more aggressive. She felt his leg in between her own causing her to freeze.

" _Huh?! Wait!? What!?_ " She exclaimed in her head, " _What's happening!? Why is he-!?_ "

He soon pulled away, leaving another string of saliva between them. "-Till this shit stops hurting…" He said referring to his wound, "... I'll only give you a little taste of what it is I'm trying to say."

"Hu-Huh?" Kristen stammered as she found herself somewhat in a daze, "Wha-What do you-?"

"-Since you can't seem to get it through your thick skull, I want to prove a point to you, but not right now." Zack said before he leaned in close to her, putting his arm around her waist, "Do me a favor, and hold still, for a minute"

Before she could say anything more, she felt him tug on her hoodie, before he buried his face to her collarbone and neck. She froze up when she felt something wet go along the pulse of her neck making her gasp.

She quickly covered her mouth, as to muffle the noise as she felt him kiss long the skin of her neck.

" _What's happening?_ " She asked in her head as she felt herself instinctively put her head back to give him more room, " _What is_ _ **HE**_ _doing? What am I doing for that matter?_ "

She felt Zack tug at her shirt slightly, revealing more of her skin, before she let out a small cry as he bit her on her collarbone. There was a little pain, though she felt him give light kisses, almost as if he had been soothing her which took her back a little.

After a few moments, he pulled back, fixing up her shirt in the process of doing so. Kristen had been flushed with red, as she looked to him in shock by what he just did. She froze up when he leaned in; she felt his breath against her ear.

" _ **I want to make you mine.**_ "

She was taken back by this once more as she just looked speechless. With his one good hand, he fixed up her shirt and hoodie as best as he could before he stepped back.

"Wha-What-?" Kristen stammered.

"Don't pretend you didn't hear me." Zack said, wiping his mouth, "And something you should know about me… When I want something, I won't stop and rest till I make it mine."

"What does that mean?" Kristen asked him as she took deep breaths as to regain herself.

"It means, I'm not gonna let you die." He told her, "If you decide to stick your neck out that gets you killed, then I'll stop you. And when the time comes-" He pointed to where he left his mark, "-We'll continue that."

Kristen's cheeks heated up and yet she didn't know the reason why. Before any of them could say anything-

"Zack, Kristen?" They heard Rachel call out, "Come on, we gotta move."

"Yeah, hold your horses Ray, we're coming." Zack said before he took Kristen's hand snapping her out of it. She noticed that he gave her a smile, which had been genuine giving her a warm sensation in her chest.

"Let's go, alright Kris?" He said.

She couldn't really explain what she was feeling, but in that moment she didn't seem to mind as she smiled back at him.

"Yeah." She said.

He went to pick up his scythe though cringed slightly; Kristen soon picked up the weapon from the floor, dragging it behind her. They both kept a firm grip on their hands, as they enjoyed each others company.

Kristen couldn't help but have a thought as she leaned against Zack as she walked with a limp.

"... _Just now… Did he… Just confess to me?_ "


	18. Chapter 15: Sanctuary

( _ **Second Opening Theme: Blood + Opening Theme-Tears of Heaven Performed By Takashi Hitomi**_ )

Rachel, Faith, and Eddie had gone ahead of Kristen and Zack as they decided to see if there was anything else, or at least a clue to where they could find the elevator to get to the next floor. Though the hallway they walked down seemed endless, and neither of them seemed to have found any clue as to where they could find the exit.

Eddie couldn't help but groan out of annoyance, "Compared to my floor it wasn't so problematic! Why can't we find the exit!?"

"I'm sure it's around here somewhere." Faith said, "We just gotta keep looking."

"But this is basically a maze!" Eddie groaned.

Rachel soon looked behind them as she noticed certain two missing.

"Zack and Kristen aren't here." Rachel said to them.

Faith and Eddie looked behind them and only looked confused.

"You're right." Eddie said, "I wonder where they are…"

"They're probably going at their own pace." Faith said, "They were badly injured, you know. Especially with the way Zack is."

"I knew he was stubborn, but I didn't think he would be _**THAT**_ reckless." Eddie said, "Even I wouldn't go that far!"

"Still though it's a bit worrisome…" Rachel said to herself softly.

Faith soon had a thought come over her, "That reminds me-" She started to say as she turned to the blue eyed girl, "-Back there, you really surprised me when you pulled that gun on Cathy. I didn't realize you had one in your bag! Where did you get it?"

Rachel gave only a pat on her messenger bag before she gave her response, "... I picked it up."

"Picked it up?" She said while tilting her head a little, "From where?"

At this, the look on the child's face changed slightly. Though before she could respond, Eddie had gotten their attention.

"Hey!" He said, "There's something written on the wall here!"

The two girls approached as they saw what had been writing, and it had been written in a familiar set of handwriting. "It's the same as the writing we found on 5B." Faith pointed out.

Rachel gave a nod before she read the writing aloud, " _To open the door, give your name to God. If there are no lies in your life, give Him your true name. But God does not need a sinner._ "

"Give Him your true name?" Faith said, fixing her glasses a bit, "What do you think it means?"

"Maybe it's a hint." Eddie suggested.

"Does that say something interesting?"

The three of them jumped when a voice came from behind them. Though the three of them calmed down when they saw it had just been Zack leaning against Kristen. "You guys!" Faith said relieved.

"It's about time you caught up with us!" Eddie said.

"Give us some slack, we're injured you know?" Zack said in a bit of a smug tone.

"Are you two feeling alright?" Rachel asked with a concerned look in her eyes.

"We're just fine." Kristen reassured her, "Sorry, these wounds are bit more serious then I thought."

"Well…" Eddie said giving her a pat on the arm, "... Try not to push yourselves, okay?"

"If we find any medicine, we'll let you guys know." Faith told them.

"Thanks." Kristen said with a smile.

Rachel gave a sort of odd look when she noticed something hiding beneath her shirt. " _A bruise?_ " She thought to herself as she tilted her head.

"Come on then." Kristen told the kids, "We need to keep moving."

"Okay…" Rachel said as she nodded before she took the lead.

The others soon followed behind her as they walked along the pathway that was provided for them, until they reached a door at the end of the hall. When they opened it, however-

"This looks familiar." Zack said as he looked over the eerily familiar surroundings.

"Wait a minute!" Faith said before she adjusted her glasses, "Isn't this the same place we passed through when we got here!?"

"It's exactly that." Rachel answered nonchalantly.

" **ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?** " Eddie yelled, " **THE WHOLE TIME WE WERE HERE, WE JUST WENT IN ONE BIG CIRCLE!?** "

"Seems that way." Kristen said, adjusting her hold on Zack's scythe.

Zack clicked his tongue, "So the crazy bitch was getting all fanatical this close to us? I wanna kill her!"

The group couldn't help but give him an awkward look as Zack could feel their eyes on him. It only took him a second to realize why. "Oh right, we did that already." He said.

Kristen couldn't help but stifle a laugh. "Hey now, don't you start." Zack said nudging her a little.

"Sorry, it's just silly how you do that sometimes, you know?" She said as she was doing her best to hold it in.

"You're lucky I'm injured right now, otherwise I would've taken back what I've said before. I would just have to punish you instead."

Kristen's face turned red as she noticed the look on his face, "Punish!? What the hell does that mean!?"

"Oh, don't worry, you'll figure that out…" Zack said slyly, "... Eventually."

"Cease and desist! They're kids here!"

The kids noticed how Zack and Kristen were interacting right now, as they seemed to be more friendly then before on earlier floors. They couldn't help but find it odd.

"Is it weird to say that I preferred it when they wanted to kill each other?" Faith said.

"Anyway…" Eddie said turning from them, "... We should try to look for the elevator that'll get us to the next floor. It's in one of these rooms, right?"

They soon jumped at a sound that came from nearby. They looked at one another before they approached the door that had been lit up with green. Rachel got the door open, and they all saw it had been the very same place where they had taken the photos in order to press on through.

However, only one thing had been different.

They saw that the wall had been open, and there was the elevator that they needed. On the side of the door there looked to be an indention on the side.

"The elevator was here the whole time?" Kristen said surprised, "Talk about hiding in plain sight."

"Okay, we found it, so how do we get it open?" Zack asked.

Faith examined the elevator, before looking around in the room, "I don't see a switch here we can use. Maybe there's a special way we gotta open it this time?"

"Probably…" Kristen said groaning slightly, "... Damn it, it's hard to think with all this dizziness."

"Easy there." Zack told her as he did his best to support her, "Let's leave the thinking to the brats this time, okay?"

Kristen nodded her head slightly as she leaned against Zack slightly, which she found to be quite comforting.

"Hmm…" Faith said as she looked around the room, "... There's gotta be something that can help us get it open."

"Yeah, but what?" Eddie wondered.

Rachel soon looked to the indention, examining it more closely, as she had a certain thought in her head as she looked to the nameboards.

"I wonder…"

Faith and Eddie noticed the look on Rachel's face as they went to her side. "Did you figure something out?" Eddie asked.

"Maybe." Rachel said, "Do you both remember what that writing on the wall we found earlier said?"

"That's easy." Faith replied, " _To open the door, give your name to God. If there are no lies in your life, give Him your true name. But God does not need a sinner-_ Is what it read."

"You think that has something to do with it?" Eddie said.

Rachel looked to the empty space again, before reexamining the names, "Yeah."

"Hey." They soon heard Zack say, "Aren't those the things we used when we took the pictures?"

"These fit perfectly with the indentation." Rachel said.

"You mean to tell me one of those might open the elevator?" Kristen asked as she felt drowsy as she could've sworn her vision started to blur up.

"I guess that would make sense." Faith said, "But… Which name are we supposed to use?"

Rachel started to think about it as she looked at the four names in her hands. She soon recalled the writing they had found earlier as her gaze turned towards Zack.

" _If there are no lies in your life, give Him your true name."_ She soon repeated aloud.

Much to the group's surprise, they saw Rachel set aside the other three names on the table, only holding onto the name she needed. Zack's true name-Isaac Foster. She placed it in the indentation, and it wasn't long before they heard the sound of a click. The doors soon opened before them.

"It worked!" Faith said surprised.

Eddie soon sighed with relief, "We can finally get off of this floor."

Faith and Eddie soon stepped into the elevator leaving Rachel, Kristen and Zack the only ones in the room. "What about the other names?" Zack asked, "Shouldn't we see what they do?"

"No, I don't think that'll be necessary." Rachel replied, "We won't be needing them."

"If you say so." Kristen said, "Now let's get off this floor."

The three of them soon stepped inside before they pressed the button, which allowed them to ascend upward. The group took this time to take a breather as they sat on the floor. "Oh good Lord…" Faith said removing her shoes, and giving her feet a good massage, "... After what we just went through, and given the fact I was almost hanged, I'm not sure how much more of this I can take."

"I hear you there." Eddie said, "I know I never traveled outside of my own floor, but I didn't think there was someone more crazy then Zack."

"Says you necrophiliac." Zack said sticking his tongue out to him.

"Zack." Kristen scolded as she leaned on his shoulder, "Don't be rude, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah." Zack said nonchalantly as he leaned his head onto Kristens.

Faith soon got a couple of snacks out of her bag, which had been a set of granola bars. "Here." She said, handing them out, "You all must be hungry. Might as well use this time to eat, since we don't know when we're gonna have this chance again."

"Thank you." Rachel said taking it from her.

"You're a lifesaver Faith." Eddie said, breaking open the wrapper.

"It's the least I can do after causing so much trouble." Faith said before she turned to Zack and Kristen, "Do you guys want some?"

"No thanks four-eyes." Zack replied, "I'm not into that kind of snack."

"Save it for later Faith." Kristen said, "Better to be safe then it is sorry."

Faith gave a certain look, before she sighed, "... If you say so."

She left a bar for herself as she packed the others. For awhile, there was silence among them as the kids silently ate; they ate slowly so as to not make themselves sick. Kristen surprisingly enjoyed sitting close to Zack as he did with her.

It was strange for the both of them, but… Neither of them seemed to mind as they allowed their hands to intertwine with each other. Zack couldn't help but give a small smile when he saw that Kristen had been sleeping; he gave her a soft kiss on her head.

"Hey Ray…" Zack soon said, getting Rachel's attention, "... I didn't get a chance to say it before, but you were pretty awesome back there."

Rachel tilted her head a little, "What did I do?"

"Are you kidding me?" Eddie said surprised.

Zack chuckled a little, "I'm talking about when you shot that insane bitch. It felt great."

"... I guess." Rachel said with a shrug.

"You guess?" Faith said, "You pulled a gun on Cathy! Like an actual gun! I call that amazing!"

"Yeah!" Eddie said as he blushed, "You were really cool Rachel."

"Thanks." Rachel replied.

"Fifi, Ray?" Zack soon said, "I kind of get Kris's story but… Why did you guys come here anyway?"

The kids looked to one another as both had been a bit uneasy on the subject itself. Rachel brought her legs closer to herself while Faith had been the first to speak up. "What Cathy said… Was true about my father. I'm part of a Mafia family." She said, "My mom ended up dying after I was born, so it was just my brother and I. His name was Liam, and he always looked out for me while I was growing up. My father on the other hand was another story. He did a lot of bad things to get to the top of the food chain."

"... Then how did you fit into all of this?" Eddie asked.

Faith sighed as she removed her cracked glasses, rubbing them a little, "My father… Ended up using me as some sort of puppet. He played with my emotions, and threatened to kill me if I didn't do what he asked. Then one day… He asked me to do something that a kid like me should never do…"

Zack, Rachel, and Eddie noticed the look in her eyes as her body shook. They seemed to have gotten the idea. Zack had a look of disgust in his eyes.

"He really is a gross old man." Zack said.

"You and Liam would agree." Faith said, "We planned on running away before that could happen. Liam set up everything. The train ticket, our new home, our identities, a job, my new school. It would've gone accordingly too, until we found ourselves here. I haven't seen him since he went looking for food."

"... I'm sure he's still alive." Eddie reassured her.

She couldn't help but smile, "Thanks… I'm just hoping he's still alive somewhere in this place."

Most of the group had stayed silent about this, though with the exception of Rachel who placed her hand on her shoulder.

Rachel soon spoke up, "I saw someone get killed, so I came for counseling. The next thing I knew… I was in a room with a blue room where Kristen found me."

"... I don't get it." Zack said, "... I noticed earlier. The gun you held, it didn't belong to her. Where did you get it?"

"Oh yeah." Faith said, "I didn't realize you had it the whole time. Did you find it somewhere?"

Rachel shook her head in reply, "It's mine."

"Where have you been keeping it?" Eddie asked.

"In my pouch, wrapped in a handkerchief." Rachel replied.

"If you had it the whole time, why didn't you use it to begin with?" Zack asked.

"I won't kill myself." Rachel replied, "God won't forgive me if I do."

Most of the group looked shocked at this before Zack told her, "That's not what I-"

"Besides…" Rachel said, cutting him off, "... You're going to be the one to kill me."

Faith's gaze softened at this as Eddie looked to the floor. Zack gave a chuckle as he pulled Kristen closer to him. "I honestly don't know what Kristen sees in you. I can't tell if your smart or if you're really dumb." He shrugged, "Well whatever. Either way, you were right to shoot her when you did. Just remembering it makes me laugh. Your timing was perfect."

Rachel noticed how Zack looked, as he couldn't help but tighten his grip on the sleeping girl. "Kristen seemed to be happy to see you still alive…" She pointed out, "... And you seem happy too."

Zack chuckled at this, "Kinda." He soon gave a real genuine smile, "You guys are too, right?"

Rachel gave a small smile at this, "... Yeah."

"Wow…" Eddie said, "... I think that's the first time I've seen you smile."

"Yeah…" Faith added before she smiled, "... You look good with that."

The elevator soon stopped and the doors opened to the next floor. The kids stood up after Faith had gotten her shoes back on. "Alright we're here!" Faith said, "Time to find the next elevator!"

Eddie stood up picking up his shovel, "Well no time like the present let's go!"

Faith and Eddie had been the first to step out of the elevator; Rachel soon stood up as she stretched. "Zack, Kristen?" Rachel said, as she turned to them, "We're here."

Rachel had been baffled at the fact when she didn't get an answer from either of them. She approached them, as she placed a hand on Kristen's shoulder shaking her.

"Kristen, wake up." She said, as she did this, "We're-"

She gasped when she noticed how flushed Kristen looked. She didn't hear it at first, but she noticed that she had been giving out labored breaths as they sounded slightly hoarse. She immediately felt her forehead as she noticed it had burned to the touch.

"Oh no…" She said softly removing her hand. She turned over to Zack, "Zack, Kristen is-"

The minute she reached out to him he fell on his side as more blood seeped through his hoodie. "Zack!" She exclaimed as she ran to his side, before she turned to the exit, "Faith! Eddie!"

Almost immediately, Faith and Eddie came back, to find what was happening. "Oh my God!" Faith exclaimed as she saw all the blood. Eddie ran to Kristen's side as he had noticed how flushed she looked. He felt her forehead finding the same thing Rachel had found.

"She's burning up!" He exclaimed.

"Help me get them out of here!" Rachel said to them.

Faith and Eddie nodded as they quickly went to work. Rachel went to drag Zack out with the help of Eddie while Faith attempted to carry Kristen on her back with her legs dragging. Though they didn't make it that far as they only made it halfway down the hall.

They had to set them against the wall as they had to catch their breath again.

"Oh God…" Eddie said, "... He's more heavy then I thought."

"Zack!" Rachel cried out, "Kristen wake up!"

"Please don't be dead!" Faith pleaded.

Zack's hand twitched slightly as he let out a groan. "... Huh…" Zack groaned, "... Wha...What happened…?"

"Thank goodness." Rachel said relieved.

"But Kristen-!" Eddie said, "-She's not-"

Kristen let out a cough as she opened her eyes only halfway as she breathed hoarsely. "Kristen!" The three of them exclaimed.

"Are you okay?" Rachel said.

Kristen didn't answer as she could only moan in agony, as she only stared at the girl with blue ocean eyes. "Kristen?" Rachel said with worry as she noticed she had a guilty look.

" _ **Allison…**_ " She said softly, "... I'm sorry… I let you down…"

"Allison?" Rachel said, wondering why the name sounded familiar.

They soon noticed that Kristen had passed out again. "Kristen!" She exclaimed.

"Hey…" Zack said, getting their attention, "... What's wrong with her?"

"She's running a high grade fever." Faith told him, "A classic sign of infection. It must've happened when Cathy attacked her, but I didn't think it would happen so quickly."

"Then… She's gonna need help right…?" Zack said before he tried standing up, "Let's-"

Zack moaned in agony as he fell back as more blood seeped through.

"You shouldn't move!" Eddie told him, "You're gonna end up bleeding out if you do!"

"Hey-" Zack said, "-This is no-"

He soon coughed out some blood as he fell back again. "Zack, you shouldn't move!" Faith told him.

"I said, I'm fine." He said.

"No." Rachel told him sternly, "You're not fine."

"Huh…?" Zack said before he noticed the look in her eyes. Her expression looked saddened as they were written with concern and he could almost swear… She had a look of fear.

"Hey… Ray…" Zack said, lifting his hand, "... Why… Are you making… Such a weird… Face?"

His hand fell to the side as it had fallen next to Kristens. The kids looked as though they were ready to panic, but they were soon brought with relief as they saw he was still breathing.

"He's just unconscious." Rachel said, looking at Kristen, "And so's she."

"This is bad, this is really bad." Faith said, "We have to help them and fast!"

"Yeah, but one problem-" Eddie said, "-We can't carry them any further, not without aggravating their wounds, especially Zack's."

"But we can't just leave them here!" She said, "After the horrors we faced-No offense to you, we're not sure what could be on this floor! Bad enough we don't know what's waiting for us up ahead, but if something or someone attacks them, they won't have a way to defend themselves"

Rachel looked at Zack and Kristen again as she still looked worried. Her hand shook slightly with worry before she looked back down the hall to the path that had been available to them. She took both of their hands as she squeezed them slightly.

"We're going to have to." Rachel told them, surprising the two, "Kristen still has the other receiver. It'll be alright as long as we stay in contact with them."

"But what if something happens?!" Faith said.

"Then we'll come right back here if need be." She reasoned, "Our main focus should be finding anything that can help them right now, and it's best if we go together. Because if we don't, they'll die."

Faith and Eddie's expression changed as they couldn't help but admit that she was right. If they didn't leave now, they would end up dead if nothing was done. Eventually the two of them nodded, though they still had a look of worry on their faces.

Rachel turned back to them, squeezing their hands as a sign of reassurance. "Wait for us…" She said, "... We'll be back as soon as we find medicine."

She soon turned to Faith and Eddie as they were still hesitant, "Lets go." She said before she took their wrists and started to drag them down the hall. Eventually they started to pick up the pace close behind her.

For a moment Rachel turned back, as her eyes were focused on Zack and Kristen. " _Wait for us._ " She thought as she looked forward, " _We'll be useful to you._ _**I'LL**_ _be useful to you. I swear._ "

 _ **(Ending Theme: Another Ending Theme-Anamnesis Performed By annabel (anNina)**_ )


End file.
